A human antibody epitope map of Pfs230D1 derived from analysis of individuals vaccinated with a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine.
Tang, W.K., Coelho, C.H., Miura, K., Nguemwo Tentokam, B.C., Salinas, N.D., Narum, D.L., Healy, S.A., Sagara, I., Long, C.A., Duffy, P.E., Tolia, N.H.(2023) Immunity 56: 433-443.e5
- PubMed: 36792576 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2023.01.012
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
7U9E, 7U9W, 7UA2, 7UA8, 7UBS, 7UC8, 7UCQ, 7UFW, 7UI1 - PubMed Abstract: 
Pfs230 domain 1 (Pfs230D1) is an advanced malaria transmission-blocking vaccine antigen demonstrating high functional activity in clinical trials. However, the structural and functional correlates of transmission-blocking activity are not defined. Here, we characterized a panel of human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) elicited in vaccinees immunized with Pfs230D1. These hmAbs exhibited diverse transmission-reducing activity, yet all bound to Pfs230D1 with nanomolar affinity. We compiled epitope-binning data for seventeen hmAbs and structures of nine hmAbs complexes to construct a high-resolution epitope map and revealed that potent transmission-reducing hmAbs bound to one face of Pfs230D1, while non-potent hmAbs bound to the opposing side. The structure of Pfs230D1D2 revealed that non-potent transmission-reducing epitopes were occluded by the second domain. The hmAb epitope map delineated binary hmAb combinations that synergized for extremely high-potency, transmission-reducing activity. This work provides a high-resolution guide for structure-based design of enhanced immunogens and informs diagnostics that measure the transmission-reducing response.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.