This document summarizes a presentation on designing Mycoplasma vaccines using synthetic biology tools. The research aims to develop an effective vaccine for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), a widespread and economically important livestock disease in Africa. The project will employ genome transplantation to delete genes involved in the Mycoplasma capsule, which could allow for a more effective glycoconjugated vaccine. Initial results showed the successful deletion of three capsule biosynthesis genes and backtransplantation of altered genomes. The vaccine has the potential to significantly improve food security, nutrition, health, and poverty reduction in Africa by controlling CBPP.

1. Design of Mycoplasma vaccines employing
synthetic biology tools
Elise Schieck, Paul Ssajjakambwe, Cecilia Muriuki, Joerg Jores
ILRI BioSciences Day, Nairobi, 27 November 2013
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2. Design of Mycoplasma vaccines employing
synthetic biology tools
• Introduction
• Why is this research important for ILRI
-a vaccine against one of the most important livestock diseases
in Africa is important to ILRI
-This research is putting ILRI on the map of institutes with
world-class cutting edge bioscience
• Who are the recipients of the outcomes
-Stakeholders in the livestock sector: smallholder
farmers, pastoralists, animal health workers, milk-drinkers and
beef-eaters in the countries affected
• How will it change their lives
-farmers will generate more profit, nutrition will improve

3. The problem: its significance
• What is the state of the problem?
-CBPP is widespread in Africa, and the affected region is still
expanding.
• How will this project change the outcomes?
-An effective vaccine will be included in control measures
against the disease, including possible eradication
• What are the links to ILRI’s strategy (SLOs and Strategic
Outcomes)?:
-Reduce rural poverty, Improve food security, Improve
nutrition and health, Sustainably manage natural resources

4. Scientific approach
• Genome transplantation
• Allows seamless deletions
• GMO vaccine possible
• Kill-switch or temperature
sensitive
• Allows identification of
virulence genes, a step to
rational subunit vaccine design

5. Scientific approach
• Targeting polysaccharide capsule
Cell membrane
• Capsule hides the bacteria
from the immune system
• Sugars are very inefficient
immunogens
• Immunity to CBPP is very shortlived
Nuclear material
Capsule
We are deleting genes involved in capsule biosynthesis

6. Results-1
• Deleting genes involved in
capsule biosynthesis
• 3 genes deleted:
glycosyltransferase
glf
bgl
Mmc GM12
genome
1,089,202bp

7. Results-2
• Backtransplantation of altered genomes
• Mycoplasma mutants:
• glf deletion mutant
glf mutants
wildtype

8. Conclusions and discussion points
• We have introduced genome transplantation to ILRI
and Africa
• Will substantially accelerate CBPP research towards a
better vaccine
• First mutants have been made
• Next step:
• Do these mutations have an effect on virulence? If so
a glycoconjugated vaccine is a promising and novel
approach to control Mycoplasma related diseases

9. Where to from now?
• How will it contribute to the four CGIAR System Level
Outcomes (Reduce poverty, improve
nutrition, improve food security and Sustainably
manage natural resources) and link with CRP/value
chains?
CRPs: 4.3 and 3.7
Value chains: dairy and beef, small ruminants
• Our Partners:
JCVI, INRA, FLI, Alberta Glycomics Centre, UoB, TiHo

10. General discussion
• Funding:
-Approved BMZ grant on development of CBPP vaccines
and diagnostics (German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development)
-BMZ Postdoc (myself)
-NSF (US National Science Foundation)
• Resource mobilization
• What support do you expect from ILRI and the
BioScience Directorate?

11. better lives through livestock
ilri.org
The presentation has a Creative Commons licence. You are free to re-use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI.