T. D. Volkova

Vaccination with Peptide 173-193 of Acetylcholine Receptor α7-Subunit Prevents Memory Loss in Olfactory Bulbectomized Mice

We studied the ability of four non-conjugated alpha7-subunit fragments of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor to induce an immune response and to protect memory in olfactory bulbectomized mice which demonstrate abnormalities similar to Alzheimers disease (AD). Vaccination only with the alpha7-subunit fragment 173-193 was shown to rescue spatial memory, to restore the level of alpha7 acetylcholine receptors in the cortex, and to prevent an increase in the amyloid-beta (Abeta) level in brain tissue in these animals. Antibodies against the peptide 173-193 were revealed in blood serum and cerebrospinal liquid in the bulbectomized mice. Passive immunization with mouse blood sera containing antibodies to the peptide 173-193 also restored memory in bulbectomized animals. The observed positive effect of both active and passive immunization with the fragment of alpha7-subunit on memory of bulbectomized mice provides a new insight into an anti-AD drug design.

Antibodies to a nonconjugated prion protein peptide 95-123 interfere with PrP( Sc ) propagation in prion-infected cells.

Summary1. Vaccination-induced anti-prion protein antibodies are presently regarded as a promising approach toward treatment of prion diseases. Here, we investigated the ability of five peptides corresponding to three different regions of the bovine prion protein (PrP) to elicit antibodies interfering with PrPSc propagation in prion-infected cells.2. Rabbits were immunized with free nonconjugated peptides. Obtained immune sera were tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot for their binding to recombinant PrP and cell-derived pathogenic isoform (PrPSc) and normal prion protein (PrPc), respectively. Sera positive in all tests were chosen for PrPSc inhibition studies in cell culture.3. All peptides induced anti-peptide antibodies, most of them reacting with recombinant PrP. Moreover, addition of the serum specific to peptide 95–123 led to a transient reduction of PrPSc levels in persistently prion-infected cells.4. Thus, anti-PrP antibodies interfering with PrPSc propagation were induced with a prion protein peptide nonconjugated to a protein carrier. These results point to the potential application of the nonconjugated peptide 95–123 for the treatment of prion diseases.

Immunization with a synthetic fragment 155–164 of neurotrophin receptor p75 prevents memory loss and decreases beta-amyloid level in mice with experimentally induced Alzheimer’s disease

Neurotoxic beta-amyloid peptide plays an important role in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. In aggregated form it binds to several proteins on the surface of the brain cells leading to their death. p75 receptor involved in supporting of cell balance is one of the targets for toxic beta-amyloid. We proposed that induction of antibodies against potential binding sites of p75 with beta-amyloid can be a promising approach towards development of new anti-Alzheimer’s disease treatment. Four potentially immunoactive fragments of p75 were chosen and chemically synthesized. Investigation of immunoprotective effect of the peptide fragments carried out in mice with experimentally induced form of Alzheimer’s disease helped to reveal two fragments effectively preserving murine memory from impairment. Results obtained by ELISA biochemical analysis showed that only immunization with fragment p75 155–164 led to significant decrease in beta-amyloid level in the brain of the experimental mice. Thus, immunization with both fragments of p75 receptor pro-vides a new insight into anti-Alzheimer’s disease drug design.

New approaches to the immunotherapy of Alzheimer’s disease with the synthetic fragments of α7 subunit of the acetylcholine receptor

The effect of immunization with the synthetic fragments of the α7 subunit of the acetylcholine nicotine receptor on the spatial memory of mice subjected to olfactory bulbectomy, which causes the development of the neurodegenerative disease of Alzheimer’s type, was studied. NMRI mice were immunized with the KLH conjugates of two peptide fragments of the N-terminal fragment of the α7 subunit extracellular fragment, subjected to olfactory bulbectomy to cause the development of the neurodegenerative disease of Alzheimer’s type, and then the state of the spatial memory was evaluated. It was shown that 20% of bulbectomized mice immunized with N-terminal 1–23 fragment exhibited good spatial memory after training. Immunization with the peptide construct (159–167)-(179–188) consisting of two hydrophilic exposed regions of α7-subunit induced good spatial memory in 50% of bulbectomized mice, while in the control group, which received only KLH, none of animals were learned. Thus, the development of immunotherapy with peptide (159–167)-(179–188) seems to be a promising approach to prophylaxis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Antibodies to synthetic peptides for the detection of survivin in tumor tissues

Survivin, an endogenous protein, is a promising marker for the cancer diagnosis. The aim of the present work was to obtain antibodies specific to survivin and capable of detecting this protein in tumor tissues. Four peptides corresponding to fragments (1–22), (54–74), (80–88)–(153–165), and (118–144) of the survivin-2B sequence were selected and synthesized. Rabbits were immunized with the synthetic peptides. It has been shown that all peptides in a free state, without conjugation with a high-molecular-weight carrier, stimulate the production of antibodies capable of binding with recombinant survivin. Antipeptide antibodies were isolated from sera and their performance in the immunohistochemical detection of survivin in human tumor tissues was studied. It was shown that only antibodies to the (80–88)–(153–165) peptide bind to the survivin present in breast and bladder tumors. The ability of antibodies to this peptide to detect survivin in tumor tissue lysates was demonstrated by immunoblotting. The part of the sequence targeted by the antibodies against the (80–88)–(153–165) peptide was localized using truncated peptide fragments.

A fragment of the receptor for advanced glycation end products restores the spatial memory of animals in a model of Alzheimer’s disease

The ability of some synthetic peptides modeling the potentially important regions of four membrane proteins, known as cell targets for beta-amyloid, to restore the spatial memory of animals in an experimental model of Alzheimer’s disease has been studied. Nine fragments of the protein receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which, according to X-ray structure analysis data, repeat all its exposed nonstructural regions, have been synthesized. The effect of these peptides and of earlier synthesized immunoprotective fragments of three other proteins (alpha7-type acethylcholine receptor, the prion protein, and the neurotrophin receptor p75) has been studied on intranasal administration, which excludes the development of the immune response to the peptide. It has been shown that only one fragment, RAGE (60–76), exhibits a therapeutic activity, by restoring the spatial memory of bulbectomized mice and decreasing the level of the brain beta-amyloid.

Protective activity of fragments of the prion protein after immunization of animals with experimentally induced Alzheimer’s disease

The prion protein is considered as one of the membrane targets of the neurotoxic beta-amyloid during development of Alzheimer’s disease. We chose and synthesized peptide fragments that corresponded to the 17–33, 23–33, 95–110, and 101–115 sequences of the prion protein and are responsible for the betaamyloid binding. The effect of immunization with the peptides on the development of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease was investigated on animals with an experimentally induced form of the disease. Immunization with either free 17–33 peptide or with protein conjugates of the 23–33 and 101–115 peptides was shown to restore spatial memory of the animals. Immunization with the 17–33 peptide was also shown to decrease the level of brain beta-amyloid and to recover morphofunctional parameters of the brain.

Induction of antibodies to particular sites of the α7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in mice of different lines

Five synthetic fragments of the N-terminal domain of the α7 subunit of the human nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) that correspond to theoretically calculated B epitopes and T helper epitopes of the protein and contain from 16 to 29 amino acid residues were tested for the ability to stimulate the formation of antibodies in mice of three lines having H-2d, H-2b, and H-2k haplotypes of the major histocompatibility complex. It was shown that, in the free (unconjugated) form, all the peptides stimulate the formation of antibodies at least in one mouse line. Most of the peptides induced the formation of antibodies in BALB/c mice (haplotype H-2d); therefore, more detailed studies were carried out on these animals. The free peptides and/or their conjugates with keyhole limpet hemocyanin were demonstrated to be capable of stimulating the formation in BALB/c mice of antibodies that bind to the recombinant extracellular N-terminal domain of (α7 nAChRα. The epitope mapping of antipeptide antibodies carried out using truncated fragments helped reveal antipeptide antibodies to four regions of the α7 subunit: 1–23, 98–106, 159–168, and 173–188 (or 179–188).

Structure prediction for peptides capable of inducing antibody formation in mice

A simple method for the sequence prediction of peptides capable of thein vivo stimulation of antibody production in mice without conjugation with protein carriers was proposed on the basis of literature data on the structure of T-helper epitopes active in vivo. According to this approach, a potentially active peptide should contain a nine-membered sequence with a hydrophobic amino acid residue in the first position and a positively charged residue in the ninth position. The efficiency of this approach was confirmed by the presence of such sequences in the previously described synthetic peptides with immune activities, by the application of this approach to the choice of immunogenic fragments within the sequences of various proteins that exhibited further the specific activity, and by the construction of immunogenic peptides on the basis of inactive natural sequences.

Structure–Function mapping of the extracellular part of neurotrophin receptor P75

Receptor p75 is a classical membrane receptor, which consists of an extracellular region, a transmembrane region, and an intracellular C-terminus death domain. p75 is involved in the activation of neurotrophic factors and plays an essential role in the regulation of cell functions such as proliferation, differentiation, synaptogenesis, neuronal plasticity, and survival or apoptosis. It is supposed that p75 accelerates the positive effects of neurotrophins being a part of the complex with the Trk receptor; however, in the absence of Trk receptors, the interaction between p75 and neurotrophins leads to cell apoptosis. The interest in the p75 receptor has increased dramatically in the past few years, as it has been shown that p75 may play a crucial role in the genesis of neurodegenerative disorders, in particular, Alzheimer’s disease. The interaction between p75 and β-amyloid leads to neuronal death in the brain. Identification of the p75 regions involved in the development of pathology is of great importance for understanding the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and for creating targeted therapeutic agents for this disorder. In the present work, immunological approaches have been used for structure-function mapping of the extracellular domain of the p75 receptor during the development of a neurodegenerative process in olfactory bulbectomized animals. The nine extracellular regions selected on the basis of X-ray structure analysis of p75 molecule hypothetically could include β-amyloid binding sites and participate in the progression of pathology. Peptides with the amino acid sequences analogous to the selected regions were synthesized. Immunization with such fragments conjugated with hemocyanin induced the formation of antipeptide antibodies in experimental animals. However, only immunization with fragment (167–176) prevented the memory loss and neuronal death in the cortex and hippocampus of bulbectomized mice. This fragment had no effect on sham-operated mice. The results indicate that fragment (167–176) of the p75 sequence deserves further research as a potential basis of the targeted immunotherapy of Alzheimer’s disease.