Synthetic archaeosome vaccines containing triglycosylarchaeols can provide additive and long-lasting immune responses that are enhanced by archaetidylserine.

The relation between archaeal lipid structures and their activity as adjuvants may be defined and explored by synthesizing novel head groups covalently linked to archaeol (2,3-diphytanyl-sn-glycerol). Saturated archaeol, that is suitably stable as a precursor for chemical synthesis, was obtained in high yield from Halobacterium salinarum. Archaeosomes consisting of the various combinations of synthesized lipids, with antigen entrapped, were used to immunize mice and subsequently determine CD8(+) and CD4(+)-T cell immune responses. Addition of 45 mol% of the glycolipids gentiotriosylarchaeol, mannotriosylarchaeol or maltotriosylarchaeol to an archaetidylglycerophosphate-O-methyl archaeosome, significantly enhanced the CD8(+) T cell response to antigen, but diminished the antibody titres in peripheral blood. Archaeosomes consisting of all three triglycosyl archaeols combined with archaetidylglycerophosphate-O-methyl (15/15/15/55 mol%) resulted in approximately additive CD8(+) T cell responses and also an antibody response not significantly different from the archaetidylglycerophosphate-O-methyl alone. Synthetic archaetidylserine played a role to further enhance the CD8(+) T cell response where the optimum content was 20-30 mol%. Vaccines giving best protection against solid tumor growth corresponded to the archaeosome adjuvant composition that gave highest immune activity in immunized mice.

Isopranoid- and dipalmitoyl-aminophospholipid adjuvants impact differently on longevity of CTL immune responses.

The success of lipid membranes as cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) adjuvants requires targeted uptake by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and delivery of the antigen cargo to the cytosol for processing. To target the phosphatidylserine (PS) receptor of APCs, we prepared antigen-loaded liposomes containing dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine and archaeal lipid liposomes (archaeosomes), containing an equivalent amount of archaetidylserine, and compared their ability to promote short and long-term CTL activity in animals. CTL responses were enhanced by the incorporation of PS into phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol liposomes and, to a lesser extent, into phosphatidylglycerol/cholesterol liposomes, that correlated to the amount of surface amino groups reactive with trinitrobenzoyl sulfonate. Archaeosomes contrasted to the liposome adjuvants by exhibiting higher amounts of surface amino groups and inducing superior shorter and, especially, longer-term CTL responses. The incorporation of dipalmitoyl lipids into archaeosomes induced instability and prevented long-term, but not short-term, CTL responses in mice. The importance of glycero-lipid cores (isopranoid versus dipalmitoyl) to the longevity of the CTL response achieved was shown further by incorporating dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) or equivalent amounts of synthetic archaetidylethanolamine (AE) into archaeosome adjuvants. Both DPPE and AE at equivalent (5 mol%) concentrations enhanced the rapidity of CTL responses in mice, indicating the importance of the head group in the short term. In the longer term, 5% of DPPE (but not 5% of AE) was detrimental. In addition to head-group effects critical to the potency of short-term CTL responses, the longer term CTL adjuvant properties of archaeosomes may be ascribed to stability imparted by the archaeal isopranoid core lipids.

Adjuvant potential of archaeal synthetic glycolipid mimetics critically depends on the glyco head group structure.

Subunit vaccines capable of providing protective immunity against the intracellular pathogens and cancers that kill millions of people annually require an adjuvant capable of directing a sufficiently potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to purified antigens, without toxicity issues. Archaeosome lipid vesicles, prepared from isoprenoid lipids extracted from archaea, are one such adjuvant in development. Here, the stability of an archaeal core lipid 2,3-di-O-phytanyl-sn-glycerol (archaeol) is used to advantage to synthesize a series of disaccharide archaeols and show that subtle variations in the carbohydrate head group alters the type and potency of immune responses mounted in a mammal. Critically, a glycosylarchaeol was required to elicit high cytotoxic CD8(+) T cell activity, with highest responses to the antigen entrapped in archaeosomes containing disaccharides of glucose in beta- or alpha1-6 linkage (beta-gentiobiose, beta-isomaltose), or of beta-lactose. This first study on synthetic archaeal lipid adjuvants reveals potential for this class of regulatory friendly, easily scalable, inexpensive, and potent glyco-adjuvant.

Rapid clonal expansion and prolonged maintenance of memory CD8+ T cells of the effector (CD44highCD62Llow) and central (CD44highCD62Lhigh) phenotype by an archaeosome adjuvant independent of TLR2.

Vaccines capable of eliciting long-term T cell immunity are required for combating many diseases. Live vectors can be unsafe whereas subunit vaccines often lack potency. We previously reported induction of CD8(+) T cells to Ag entrapped in archaeal glycerolipid vesicles (archaeosomes). In this study, we evaluated the priming, phenotype, and functionality of the CD8(+) T cells induced after immunization of mice with OVA-Methanobrevibacter smithii archaeosomes (MS-OVA). A single injection of MS-OVA evoked a profound primary response but the numbers of H-2K(b)OVA(257-264)-specific CD8(+) T cells declined by 14-21 days, and <1% of primarily central phenotype (CD44(high)CD62L(high)) cells persisted. A booster injection of MS-OVA at 3-11 wk promoted massive clonal expansion and a peak effector response of approximately 20% splenic/blood OVA(257-264)-specific CD8(+) T cells. Furthermore, contraction was protracted and the memory pool (IL-7Ralpha(high)) of approximately 5% included effector (CD44(high)CD62L(low)) and central (CD44(high)CD62L(high)) phenotype cells. Recall response was observed even at >300 days. CFSE-labeled naive OT-1 (OVA(257-264) TCR transgenic) cells transferred into MS-OVA-immunized recipients cycled profoundly (>90%) within the first week of immunization indicating potent Ag presentation. Moreover, approximately 25% cycling of Ag-specific cells was seen for >50 days, suggesting an Ag depot. In vivo, CD8(+) T cells evoked by MS-OVA killed >80% of specific targets, even at day 180. MS-OVA induced responses similar in magnitude to Listeria monocytogenes-OVA, a potent live vector. Furthermore, protective CD8(+) T cells were induced in TLR2-deficient mice, suggesting nonengagement of TLR2 by archaeal lipids. Thus, an archaeosome adjuvant vaccine represents an alternative to live vectors for inducing CD8(+) T cell memory.

Activation of dendritic cells by liposomes prepared from phosphatidylinositol mannosides from Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin and adjuvant activity in vivo.

Liposome vesicles could be formed at 65 degrees C from the chloroform-soluble, total polar lipids (TPL) extracted from Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Mice immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) entrapped in TPL liposomes produced both anti-OVA antibody and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses. Murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells were activated to secrete interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor upon exposure to antigen-free TPL liposomes. Three phosphoglycolipids and three phospholipids comprising 96% of TPL were identified as phosphatidylinositol dimannoside, palmitoyl-phosphatidylinositol dimannoside, dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylinositol dimannoside, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and cardiolipin. The activation of dendritic cells by liposomes prepared from each purified lipid component of TPL was evaluated in vitro. A basal activity of phosphatidylinositol liposomes to activate proinflammatory cytokine production appeared to be attributable to the tuberculosteric fatty acyl 19:0 chain characteristic of mycobacterial glycerolipids, as similar lipids lacking tuberculosteric chains showed little activity. Phosphatidylinositol dimannoside was identified as the primary lipid that activated dendritic cells to produce amounts of proinflammatory cytokines several times higher than the basal level, indicating the importance of mannose residues. Although the activity of phosphatidylinositol dimannoside was little influenced by palmitoylation of mannose at C-6, a further palmitoylation at inositol C-3 diminished the induction levels of IL-6 and IL-12. Further, OVA entrapped in palmitoyl-phosphatidylinositol dimannoside liposomes was delivered to dendritic cells for major histocompatibility complex class I presentation more effectively than TPL OVA-liposomes. BCG liposomes containing mannose lipids caused up-regulation of costimulatory molecules and CD40. Thus, the inclusion of pure phosphatidylinositol mannosides of BCG in lipid vesicle vaccines represents a simple and efficient option for targeting antigen delivery and providing immune stimulation.

Archaeosomes varying in lipid composition differ in receptor-mediated endocytosis and differentially adjuvant immune responses to entrapped antigen.

Archaeosomes prepared from total polar lipids extracted from six archaeal species with divergent lipid compositions had the capacity to deliver antigen for presentation via both MHC class I and class II pathways. Lipid extracts from Halobacterium halobium and from Halococcus morrhuae strains 14039 and 16008 contained archaetidylglycerol methylphosphate and sulfated glycolipids rich in mannose residues, and lacked archaetidylserine, whereas the opposite was found in Methanobrevibacter smithii, Methanosarcina mazei and Methanococcus jannaschii. Annexin V labeling revealed a surface orientation of phosphoserine head groups in M. smithii, M. mazei and M. jannaschii archaeosomes. Uptake of rhodamine-labeled M. smithii or M. jannaschii archaeosomes by murine peritoneal macrophages was inhibited by unlabeled liposomes containing phosphatidylserine, by the sulfhydryl inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide, and by ATP depletion using azide plus fluoride, but not by H. halobium archaeosomes. In contrast, N-ethylmaleimide failed to inhibit uptake of the four other rhodamine-labeled archaeosome types, and azide plus fluoride did not inhibit uptake of H. halobium or H. morrhuae archaeosomes. These results suggest endocytosis of archaeosomes rich in surface-exposed phosphoserine head groups via a phosphatidylserine receptor, and energy-independent surface adsorption of certain other archaeosome composition classes. Lipid composition affected not only the endocytic mechanism, but also served to differentially modulate the activation of dendritic cells. The induction of IL-12 secretion from dendritic cells exposed to H. morrhuae 14039 archaeosomes was striking compared with cells exposed to archaeosomes from 16008. Thus, archaeosome types uniquely modulate antigen delivery and dendritic cell activation.