The features of individual fragments of IgA1 protease of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B during the formation of immunity to bacterial infections in animals and humans were studied. The antibodies to the immunogenic regions of the studied proteins are also detected in mice infected with some bacterial pathogens and in humans with bacterial meningitis. A region of IgA1 protease was identified that is not capable of producing antibodies during immunization of animals, but that detects homologous antibodies in the blood of humans and animals recovered from bacterial infections. It has been suggested that this fragment plays a regulatory role in the process of immunogenesis.

The review covers the study of the protective properties of IgA1 protease and the possibility of creating a vaccine preparation for the prevention of bacterial meningitis of various origins on its basis. Bacterial meningitis belongs to the group of socially dangerous diseases and is characterized by a severe course, numerous complications and high mortality. The approaches used at present in world practice to create antimicrobial vaccines are based on a narrow targeting against a specific pathogen. The development of a monocomponent vaccine against a wide range of bacterial pathogens with a common virulence factor is still relevant. IgA1 protease, a protein that is one of the main virulence factors of a number of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, can serve as such an antigen. Bacterial IgA1 protease is uniquely specific for immunoglobulins A1 (IgA1), cleaving peptide bonds in the hinge regions of the IgA1 in humans and other higher primates. Bacteria, getting on the mucous membrane, destroy IgA1, which acts as the first barrier to protect the body from infections. Neutralization of IgA1 protease at this stage can become an obstacle to the development of infection, hindering the adhesion of a number of pathogens that produce this protein. The data available in the literature on the mechanism of antibacterial protection are scattered and ambiguous. The review considers the literature data and the results of our own experiments on the protective activity of IgA1 protease. We have shown that the recombinant meningococcal IgA1 protease and some of its fragments protect mice from infection with a live virulent culture not only of meningococci of the main epidemic serogroups (A, B, C, and W135), but also of some of the most common virulent pneumococcal serotypes. The data obtained indicate the possibility of creating a monocomponent vaccine against these and, possibly, other bacterial infections. Currently, significant progress has been made in studying the structure and functions of secreted proteins in the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae. In this review we describe protein translocation systems of N. meningitidis, which are related to the secretion of proteins in these bacteria, and also present modern data on the functions of these proteins. Analysis of experimental data on the structure of IgA1 protease of N. meningitidis and the formation of immunity during vaccination is of key importance in the development of prophylactic preparations.

A unique property was found for oligopeptidase B from Serratia proteamaculans (PSP) as well as its mutants: they can undergo reversible thermal inactivation at 37°C, with activity being restored or even increased with respect to the initial one upon subsequent cooling. The process can be repeated several times, with the same results achieved (up to 5 cycles). This effect can be explained by a shift in the equilibrium between the inactive open form of the enzyme and the active closed one upon variation of the incubation temperature.

We studied immunogenicity of two recombinant proteins FR.9 and FR.11-3 created on the basis of fragments of the primary structure of N. meningitidis IgA1 protease with different molecular weights containing different sets of T and B epitopes. The proteins actively protect animals infected with live virulent culture of meningococci, serogroups A, B, and C. Analysis of CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ lymphocyte populations in mouse blood showed predominant contribution of different cell populations to the formation of immune response to different proteins. Injection of FR.11-3 protein to animals did no affect the immunoregulatory index, hence, this protein can be used for creation of immunologically safe vaccine preparation.

Four recombinant proteins, MA 28 –P 1004 LEH 6 , ME 135 –H 328 LEH 6 , MW 329 –H 622 LEH 6 and MH 835 –P 1004 LEH 6 , were prepared based on the genomic sequence of IgA1 protease from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strain H44/76. The immunogenic and protective properties of these proteins were studied in a mouse model. The predicted T- and B-epitopes located in the N-terminal part of amino acid sequence of this enzyme are very important for the formation of effective protection against meningococci of the three main epidemic serogroups A, B, and C. The small-sized recombinant protein having the sequence ME 135 –H 328 LEH 6 (molecular weight 23367 Da) appears to be as protective against meningococci of the tested serogroups as the high molecular MA 28 –P 1004 LEH 6 (molecular weight 109019 Da), the latter being a large-sized analog of full-length IgA1 protease. These proteins can be promising candidates for a polyvalent meningococcal vaccine.

Using the genome sequence of IgA1 protease of N. meningitidis of serogroup B, four recombinant proteins of different structure and molecular weight were constructed. These proteins were equal in inducing the formation of specific antibodies to IgA1 protease and had protective properties against meningococci. In the sera of immunized mice, anti-IgA1 protease antibodies were detected by whole-cell ELISA, which indicated the presence of IgA1 protease on the surface of these bacteria. We hypothesized that the protective properties of IgA1 protease-based antigens and IgA1 protease analogs could be realized not only via impairment of bacterium adhesion to the mucosa, but also via suppression of this pathogen in the organism. The presented findings seem promising for using these proteins as the basis for anti-meningococcus vaccine.

The immunogenic and protective activities of recombinant IgA1 serine protease obtained on the base of the genome DNA of N. meningitidis serogroup B strain H44/76 were studied. A several recombinant proteins of different molecular weights that are based on the full-length primary structure of the enzyme, taking into account the distribution of B- and T-epitopes, also were studied. In experiments on laboratory animals it was shown that a number of tested preparations demonstrate the immunogenic and protective activity to protect mice from lethal challenge with virulent strains of meningococcus serogroups A, B and C, thereby exhibiting polyvaccine properties. The protective role of antibodies against the IgA1 protease was shown when mice were infected by meningococccus serogroup B. The increase in antibodies to the meningococcal IgA1 protease into the blood of rabbits infected with different serotypes of pneumococci has been detected, indicating potential ability of the meningococcal IgA1 protease to generate protection against microbes the virulence of which is caused by IgA1protease.

The immunogenic and protective activities of recombinant IgA1 serine protease obtained on the base of the genome DNA of N. meningitidis serogroup B strain H44/76 were studied. A several recombinant proteins of different molecular weights that are based on the full-length primary structure of the enzyme, taking into account the distribution of B- and T-epitopes, also were studied. In experiments on laboratory animals it was shown that a number of tested preparations demonstrate the immunogenic and protective activity to protect mice from lethal challenge with virulent strains of meningococcus serogroups A, B and C, thereby exhibiting polyvaccine properties. The protective role of antibodies against the IgA1 protease was shown when mice were infected by meningococccus serogroup B. The increase in antibodies to the meningococcal IgA1 protease into the blood of rabbits infected with different serotypes of pneumococci has been detected, indicating potential ability of the meningococcal IgA1 protease to generate protection against microbes the virulence of which is caused by IgA1protease.

Recombinant proteins (M1K2–N963-LEH6, MA28–N963-LEH6 and ME135–H328-LEH6) have been created on the basis of the genome sequence of IgA1 protease of N. meningitidis serogroup B strain H44/76. It is revealed that, similarly to the native enzyme isolated earlier from N. meningitidis serogroup A strain A208, these proteins induce formation of animal protection against the infection with the virulent strain of meningococcus serogroup B. It is shown that these compounds are promising as a basis for a polyvalent anti-meningococcal vaccine.

Treatment of native psychrophilic oligopeptidase B from Serratia proteamaculans (PSP, 78 kDa) with chymotrypsin (soluble or immobilized on modified porous glass MPG-PA) in the presence of 50% glycerol leads to production of a truncated enzyme form (PSP-Chtr, ∼66 kDa), which retains activity toward the low molecular weight substrate of PSP, BAPNA, but in contrast to PSP, is active toward the protein substrate azocasein. It has been shown by MALDI-TOF massspectrometry that PSP-Chtr lacks the N-terminal region of the molecule that envelops the catalytic domain of PSP and supposedly prevents hydrolysis of high molecular weight substrates. It has also been established that the lacking fragment corresponds to the N -terminal highest rank element of the informational structure of PSP. This finding confirms the usefulness of the method of informational structure analysis for protein engineering of enzymes. A similar treatment of PSP with immobilized trypsin also led to production of a stable truncated enzyme form (PSP-Tr, ∼75 kDa) which lacked 22 C -terminal amino acid residues and completely lost enzymatic activity, presumably because of changes in the nearest environment of His652 of the catalytic triad.

It is known that some synthetic polymers can enhance the stability of some proteins including enzymes against thermal denaturation. An important example of such behaviour is poly-N-vinylcaprolactam (PVC), although the mechanism of this phenomenon is not fully understood. This paper deals with this problem with the system PVC-trypsin as an example. PVC is a polymer, which has lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in aqueous solution. It is shown that the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of a substrate – benzoyl arginine – n-nitroanilide (BAPNA) – with trypsin in aqueous solutions of PVC at 25oC is higher than that in the buffer solution. It is supposed that this effect is a consequence of the complex formation of trypsin with PVC affecting the conformation of the protein and binding of the substrate. The complexation brings about a decrease of the Michaelis constant and an increase of the rate of the biocatalyst interaction with the substrate. It is found that the activity of trypsin depends on the ratio of the enzyme to the substrate. The complexation of trypsin to poly-N-vinylcaprolactam can have influence on the enzymatic activity of the protein at temperatures above LCST, as well as on trypsin trapping in the precipitating polymer. It is noted that, when one determines the enzyme activity by spectral methods, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of complex formation of the polymer with another substance in the reaction system, which can cause errors.

The features of the microwave irradiation effect on trypsin state and changes jn its enzymatic activity in the presence of poly(N-vinyl amides) at various temperatures have been studied. Comparison of the denaturizing effect of the irradiation and of convective heating has revealed, along with the thermal factors, the specific effects of microwave radiation. These effects have been found to affect both protein and polymer molecules, to change their interaction parameters, and thus, to modulate trypsin enzymatic function.

It is known that some synthetic polymers can enhance the stability of some proteins including enzymes against thermal denaturation. An important example of such behaviour is poly-N-vinylcaprolactam (PVC), although the mechanism of this phenomenon is not fully understood. This paper deals with this problem with the system PVC-trypsin as an example. PVC is a polymer, which has lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in aqueous solution. It is shown that the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of a substrate – benzoyl arginine – n-nitroanilide (BAPNA) – with trypsin in aqueous solutions of PVC at 25ºC is higher than that in the buffer solution. It is supposed that this effect is a consequence of the complex formation of trypsin with PVC affecting the conformation of the protein and binding of the substrate. The complexation brings about a decrease of the Michaelis constant and an increase of the rate of the biocatalyst interaction with the substrate. It is found that the activity of trypsin depends on the ratio of the enzyme to the substrate. The complexation of trypsin to poly-N-vinylcaprolactam can have influence on the enzymatic activity of the protein at temperatures above LCST, as well as on trypsin trapping in the precipitating polymer. It is noted that, when one determines the enzyme activity by spectral methods, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of complex formation of the polymer with another substance in the reaction system, which can cause errors.

The study of enzymatic and protective properties of recombinant IgA1 protease in active and mutant form has shown that the active form of IgA1 protease exhibited species-and type-specificity for mouse and human immunoglobulins. A mutant form, lacking enzymatic activity, had protective properties against meningococcal infection, induced by meningococcus serogroup A, B and C; it protected mice from lethal infection by live virulent cultures of heterologous serogroups of meningococcus. The results obtained in this study suggest that IgA1 protease may be considered as a perspective preparation at the stages of devel-opment of a polyvalent vaccine for protection of human against meningococcal infections of various etiology.