Immunogenicity of multi-epitope vaccines composed of epitopes from Streptococcus dysgalactiae GapC

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase C (GapC) of Streptococcus dysgalactiae (S. dysgalactiae) is a highly conserved surface protein that can induce a protective immune response against S. dysgalactiae infection. To investigate the immune response and protective efficacy induced by epitope-vaccines against S. dysgalactiae infection, we constructed epitope-vaccines GTB1, GB1B2, and GTB1B2 using a T cell epitope (GapC₆₃₋₇₇, abbreviated as GT) and two B cell epitopes (GapC₃₀₋₃₆, abbreviated as GB1, and GapC₉₇₋₁₀₃, abbreviated as GB2), which were identified in GapC₁₋₁₅₀ of S. dysgalactiae in tandem by a GSGSGS linker. BALB/c mice were immunized via an intramuscular injection with the epitope vaccines. The levels of the cytokines, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17, secreted by splenic lymphocytes and the antibody levels in the sera of the immunized mice were detected by ELISA. The immunized mice were subsequently challenged with S. dysgalactiae, and the bacterial colonization in the immunized-mouse organs was examined using the plate counting method. The results showed that the level of the cytokines induced by GTB1B2 was lower than that induced by GapC₁₋₁₅₀, but higher than that induced by other epitope vaccines. The level of IgG induced by GTB1B2 was lower than that induced by GapC₁₋₁₅₀, but higher than the levels induced by other epitope vaccines. The bacterial colonization numbers in the organs of the mice immunized with GTB1B2 were higher those of the mice immunized with GapC₁₋₁₅₀, but significantly lower than those from the mice immunized with other epitope-vaccines. Our results demonstrated that the T cell and B cell epitopes in the epitope-vaccines worked synergistically against bacterial challenge. The multi-epitope vaccine, GTB1B2, could induce stronger cellular and humoral immune responses, and provide a better protective effect against S. dysgalactiae infection.