Cloning, yeast expression, isolation, and vaccine testing of recombinant Ancylostoma-secreted protein (ASP)-1 and ASP-2 from Ancylostoma ceylanicum

cDNAs encoding 2 Ancylostoma-secreted proteins (ASPs), Ancylostoma ceylanicum (Ay)-ASP-1 and Ay-ASP-2, were cloned from infective third-stage larvae (L3) of the hookworm A. ceylanicum and were expressed as soluble recombinant fusion proteins secreted by the yeast Pichia pastoris. The recombinant fusion proteins were purified, adjuvant formulated, and injected intramuscularly into hamsters. Hamsters vaccinated either by oral vaccination with irradiated L3 (irL3) or by injections of the adjuvants alone served as positive and negative controls, respectively. Anti-ASP-1 and anti-ASP-2 antibody titers exceeded 1:100,000. Each vaccinated hamster was challenged orally with 100 L3. Two groups of vaccinated hamsters (i.e., those vaccinated with either irL3 or ASP-2 formulated with Quil A) exhibited significant reductions in adult hookworm burdens, compared with control hamsters. The hookworms recovered from the hamsters vaccinated with ASP-2 plus Quil A were reduced in length. Splenomegaly, which was observed in control hamsters, was not seen in hamsters vaccinated with either irL3 or ASP-2 formulated with Quil A. These results indicate that ASP-2 is a promising molecule for the development of a hookworm vaccine.