Anthrax toxin-mediated delivery of a cytotoxic T-cell epitope in vivo.

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.22.12531
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T14:34:16Z
• Authors: J D Ballard; R J Collier; M N Starnbach
• Keywords: Anthrax toxin; CTL*; Listeriolysin O

The protective antigen (PA) component of anthrax toxin mediates entry the toxin's lethal factor (LF) and edema into cytosolic compartment mammalian cells. amino-terminal domain LF (LFn; 255 amino acids) binds to PA, when fused heterologous proteins, LFn delivers such proteins cytoplasm in presence PA. In current study, we a 9-amino acid cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitope (LLO91-99) from an intracellular pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, measured ability resulting LFn-LLO91-99 fusion protein stimulate CTL response against BALB/c mice. As little as 300 fmol could response. stimulation was PA-dependent occurred with peptide either terminus or carboxyl LFn. Upon challenge L. mice previously injected PA showed reduction colony-forming units spleen liver, relative nonimmunized control These results indicate that may be useful CTL-peptide delivery system for research medical applications.