Metabolic engineering of Salmonella vaccine bacteria to boost human Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity

J Immunol. 2014 Jul 15;193(2):708-21. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1302746. Epub 2014 Jun 18.

Abstract

Human Vγ2Vδ2 T cells monitor isoprenoid metabolism by recognizing foreign (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP), a metabolite in the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway used by most eubacteria and apicomplexan parasites, and self isopentenyl pyrophosphate, a metabolite in the mevalonate pathway used by humans. Whereas microbial infections elicit prolonged expansion of memory Vγ2Vδ2 T cells, immunization with prenyl pyrophosphates or aminobisphosphonates elicit short-term Vγ2Vδ2 expansion with rapid anergy and deletion upon subsequent immunizations. We hypothesized that a live, attenuated bacterial vaccine that overproduces HMBPP would elicit long-lasting Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity by mimicking a natural infection. Therefore, we metabolically engineered the avirulent aroA(-) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL7207 strain by deleting the gene for LytB (the downstream enzyme from HMBPP) and functionally complementing for this loss with genes encoding mevalonate pathway enzymes. LytB(-) Salmonella SL7207 had high HMBPP levels, infected human cells as efficiently as did the wild-type bacteria, and stimulated large ex vivo expansions of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells from human donors. Importantly, vaccination of a rhesus monkey with live lytB(-) Salmonella SL7207 stimulated a prolonged expansion of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells without significant side effects or anergy induction. These studies provide proof-of-principle that metabolic engineering can be used to derive live bacterial vaccines that boost Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity. Similar engineering of metabolic pathways to produce lipid Ags or B vitamin metabolite Ags could be used to derive live bacterial vaccine for other unconventional T cells that recognize nonpeptide Ags.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Deletion
  • Humans
  • Immunization
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Macaca mulatta / immunology
  • Metabolic Engineering / methods*
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways / genetics
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways / immunology
  • Mevalonic Acid / metabolism
  • Organophosphates / metabolism
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / immunology*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / metabolism
  • Salmonella Vaccines / immunology*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / genetics
  • Salmonella typhimurium / immunology*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism

Substances

  • 4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butenyl diphosphate
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Organophosphates
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta
  • Salmonella Vaccines
  • Mevalonic Acid