SnoopLigase peptide-peptide conjugation enables modular vaccine assembly

For many infectious diseases there is still no vaccine, even though potential protective antigens have been identified. Suitable platforms and conjugation routes are urgently needed to convert the promise of such antigens into broadly protective and scalable vaccines. Here we apply a newly established peptide-peptide ligation approach, SnoopLigase, for specific and irreversible coupling of antigens onto an oligomerization platform. SnoopLigase was engineered from a Streptococcus pneumoniae adhesin and enables isopeptide bond formation between two peptide tags: DogTag and SnoopTagJr. We expressed in bacteria DogTag linked to the self-assembling coiled-coil nanoparticle IMX313. This platform was stable over months at 37 °C when lyophilized, remaining reactive even after boiling. IMX-DogTag was efficiently coupled to two blood-stage malarial proteins (from PfEMP1 or CyRPA), with SnoopTagJr fused at the N- or C-terminus. We also showed SnoopLigase-mediated coupling of a telomerase peptide relevant to cancer immunotherapy. SnoopLigase-mediated nanoassembly enhanced the antibody response to both malaria antigens in a prime-boost model. Including or depleting SnoopLigase from the conjugate had little effect on the antibody response to the malarial antigens. SnoopLigase decoration represents a promising and accessible strategy for modular plug-and-display vaccine assembly, as well as providing opportunities for robust nanoconstruction in synthetic biology.