Publications by authors named "Danielle E Baranova"

Background: In cholera epidemics, the spread of disease can easily outpace vaccine control measures. The advent of technologies enabling the expression of recombinant proteins, including antibodies, in the milk of transgenic animals raises the prospect of developing a self-administered and cost-effective monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based prophylactic to reduce the incidence of infection.

Methods: We generated a transgenic mouse line in which the heavy and light chain variable regions (Fv) specific for a conserved epitope in the core/lipid A of O1 lipopolysaccharide were expressed as a full-length human dimeric IgA1 (ZAC-3) and secreted into the milk of lactating dams.

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As the predominant antibody type in mucosal secretions, human colostrum, and breast milk, secretory IgA (SIgA) plays a central role in safeguarding the intestinal epithelium of newborns from invasive enteric pathogens like the Gram-negative bacterium serovar Typhimurium (STm). SIgA is a complex molecule, consisting of an assemblage of two or more IgA monomers, joining (J)-chain, and secretory component (SC), whose exact functions in neutralizing pathogens are only beginning to be elucidated. In this study, we produced and characterized a recombinant human SIgA variant of Sal4, a well-characterized monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for the O5-antigen of STm lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

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Following an episode of cholera, a rapidly dehydrating, watery diarrhea caused by the Gram-negative bacterium, Vibrio cholerae O1, humans mount a robust anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibody response that is associated with immunity to subsequent re-infection. In neonatal mouse and rabbit models of cholera, passively administered anti-LPS polyclonal and monoclonal (MAb) antibodies reduce V. cholerae colonization of the intestinal epithelia by inhibiting bacterial motility and promoting vibrio agglutination.

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Article Synopsis
  • Vibrio cholerae O1 causes epidemic cholera by colonizing the human intestine and secreting a powerful toxin, with immunity linked to anti-LPS antibodies that inhibit its movement and promote bacterial clustering.
  • When exposed to ZAC-3 IgG, a specific antibody, V. cholerae produces an extracellular matrix (ECM) quickly, with highest levels observed after three hours, although non-motile mutants do not secrete ECM despite being agglutinated.
  • This ECM production helps V. cholerae resist further immune attacks, suggesting that the bacteria may use it as a defense mechanism against the host's immune response in the intestine.
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Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera, an acute diarrheal disease that remains endemic in many parts of the world. The mechanisms underlying immunity to cholera remain poorly defined, though it is increasingly clear that protection is associated with antibodies against lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here we report that ZAC-3, a monoclonal antibody against the core/lipid A region of V.

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