Abbreviations: ETEC, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; LT, Escherichia c o l i h e a t -l a b i l e enterotoxin; CT, cholera toxin; GM 1, monosialoganglioside; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
AbstractEscherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) is composed of catalytic A and non-catalytic homo-pentameric B subunits and causes diarrheal disease in human and animals. In order to produce a nontoxic LT for vaccine and adjuvant development, two novel derivatives of LT were constructed by a site-directed mutagenesis of A subunit; Ser 6 3 to Ty r 6 3 in LTS63Y and Glu 11 0 , G l u 11 2 were deleted in LT 11 0 / 112. The purified mutant LTs (mLTs) showed a similar molecular structural complex as AB 5 to that of wild LT. In contrast to wild-type LT, mLTs failed to induce either elongation activity, ADP-ribosyltransferase activity, cAMP synthesis in CHO cells or fluid accumulation in mouse small intestine in vivo. Mice immunized with m LTs either intragastrically or intranasally elicited high titers of LT-specific serum and mucosal antibodies comparable to those induced by wild-type LT. These results indicate that substitution of Ser 63 to Ty r 6 3 or deletion of Glu 11 0 and Glu 11 2 eliminate the toxicity of LT without a change of AB 5 conformation, and both mutants are immunogenic to LT itself. Therefore, both mLTs may be used to develop novel anti-diarrheal vaccines against enterotoxigenic E. coli.