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Zimna M, Brzuska G, Salát J, Svoboda P, Baranska K, Szewczyk B, Růžek D, Krol E. Functional characterization and immunogenicity of a novel vaccine candidate against tick-borne encephalitis virus based on Leishmania-derived virus-like particles. Antiviral Res 2023; 209:105511. [PMID: 36581050 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a major cause of neurological infections in many regions of central, eastern and northern Europe and northern Asia. In approximately 15% of cases, TBEV infections lead to the development of severe encephalitis or meningitis. The main route of TBEV transmission is tick bites; however, ingestion of dairy products from infected animals (goats, cattle and sheep) is also a frequent cause of the disease. Therefore, vaccination of livestock in virus endemic regions could also contribute to the decrease in TBEV infection among humans. Although few vaccines against TBEV based on inactivated viruses are available for humans, due to high costs, vaccination is not mandatory in most of the affected countries. Moreover, there is still no vaccine for veterinary use. Here, we present a characterization and immunogenicity study of a new potential TBEV vaccine based on virus-like particles (VLPs) produced in Leishmania tarentolae cells. VLPs, which mimic native viral particles but do not contain genetic material, show good immunogenic potential. For the first time, we showed that the protozoan L. tarentolae expression system can be successfully used for the production of TBEV virus-like particles with highly efficient production. We confirmed that TBEV recombinant structural proteins (prM/M and E) from VLPs are highly recognized by neutralizing antibodies in in vitro analyses. Therefore, VLPs in combination with AddaVax adjuvant were used in immunization studies in a mouse model. VLPs proved to be highly immunogenic and induced the production of high levels of neutralizing antibodies. In a challenge experiment, immunization with VLPs provided full protection from lethal TBE in mice. Thus, we suggest that Leishmania-derived VLPs may be a good candidate for a safe alternative human vaccine with high efficiency of production. Moreover, this potential vaccine candidate may constitute a low-cost candidate for veterinary use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zimna
- Department of Recombinant Vaccines, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Gabriela Brzuska
- Department of Recombinant Vaccines, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Jiří Salát
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Infections, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, CZ, 62100, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, CZ, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Svoboda
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Infections, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, CZ, 62100, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, CZ, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 735/5, CZ, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackeho Tr. 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Klaudia Baranska
- Department of Recombinant Vaccines, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Boguslaw Szewczyk
- Department of Recombinant Vaccines, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Daniel Růžek
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Infections, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, CZ, 62100, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, CZ, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 735/5, CZ, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Ewelina Krol
- Department of Recombinant Vaccines, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdansk, Poland.
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Serological Hendra Virus Diagnostics Using an Indirect ELISA-Based DIVA Approach with Recombinant Hendra G and N Proteins. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061095. [PMID: 35744614 PMCID: PMC9230382 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the identification of Hendra virus (HeV) infections in horses in Australia in 1994, more than 80 outbreaks in horses have been reported, and four out of seven spillover infections in humans had a fatal outcome. With the availability of a subunit vaccine based on the HeV-Glycoprotein (HeV-G), there is a need to serologically Differentiate the Infected from the Vaccinated Animals (DIVA). We developed an indirect ELISA using HeV-G expressed in Leishmania tarentolae and HeV-Nucleoprotein (HeV-N) expressed in recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells as antigens. During evaluation, we tested panels of sera from naïve, vaccinated and infected horses that either originated from a Hendra-virus free region, or had been pre-tested in validated diagnostic tests. Our data confirm the reliability of this approach, as HeV-N-specific antibodies were only detected in sera from infected horses, while HeV-G-specific antibodies were detected in infected and vaccinated horses with a high level of specificity and sensitivity. Given the excellent correlation of data obtained for German and Australian HeV-negative horses, we assume that this test can be applied for the testing of horse serum samples from a variety of geographical regions.
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de Oliveira TA, Silva WD, da Rocha Torres N, Badaró de Moraes JV, Senra RL, de Oliveira Mendes TA, Júnior AS, Bressan GC, Fietto JLR. Application of the LEXSY Leishmania tarentolae system as a recombinant protein expression platform: A review. Process Biochem 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2019.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Stroh E, Fischer K, Schwaiger T, Sauerhering L, Franzke K, Maisner A, Groschup MH, Blohm U, Diederich S. Henipavirus-like particles induce a CD8 T cell response in C57BL/6 mice. Vet Microbiol 2019; 237:108405. [PMID: 31561922 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.108405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nipah virus (NiV), a BSL-4 pathogen, belongs to the genus Henipavirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. To date, no effective vaccine is available. Although most of the current vaccine studies aim to induce a neutralizing antibody response, it has become evident that a promising vaccine should target both, humoral and cell-mediated immune response. Virus-like particles (VLPs) have been shown to activate both arms of the adaptive immune response. In our study, VLPs composed of the NiV surface glycoproteins G and F and the matrix protein of the closely related Hendra virus (HeV M) induced both, a neutralizing antibody response and an antigen-specific CD8 T cell response with proliferation, IFN-γ expression and Th1 cytokine secretion in C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, in BALB/c mice only a neutralizing antibody response was observed. All three viral proteins included in the VLPs were shown to harbor CD8 T cell epitopes; however, the combination of all three proteins enhanced the magnitude of the CD8 T cell response. To conclude, VLPs represent a promising vaccine candidate, as they induce humoral as well as CD8 T cell-mediated immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Stroh
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Theresa Schwaiger
- Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Lucie Sauerhering
- Institute for Virology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kati Franzke
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Andrea Maisner
- Institute for Virology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ulrike Blohm
- Institute of Immunology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
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Razzaqi M, Rasaee MJ, Paknejad M. A critical challenge in the development of antibody: Selecting the appropriate fragment of the target protein as an antigen based on various epitopes or similar structure. Mol Immunol 2019; 111:128-135. [PMID: 31054406 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2019.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The main challenge in the development of antibody is to select the appropriate antigen particularly when a truncated protein is used for immunization or as vaccine antigen. In previous studies, fragment selection was mainly based on epitopes and less often on the structure. Fewer studies have paid attention to the prediction of the truncated protein 3D structure and retained its similarity in the native and truncated proteins. Here we used in silico analysis to select two fragments of Pyruvate Kinase M2 (PKM2), as a tumor marker. One fragment, M-tPKM2, had a shorter sequence with one epitope although the predicted 3D structure was similar to the native PKM2. The other fragment, R-tPKM2, had a longer sequence and thus more epitopes, but had a different structure from the native PKM2. Recombinant truncated proteins were expressed in E. coli and purified via affinity chromatography. Secondary structure elements in purified proteins were determined by Circular Dichroism, then they were utilized to develop antibodies in mice. Both antigens could elicit high immune response against themselves (OD450 = 3.326 ± 0.562 for M-tPKM2; OD450 = 3.562 ± 0.110 for R-tPKM2). However, significantly higher response against PKM2 was observed among the mice immunized with M-tPKM2 (p < 0.0001 by One way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc comparison). Also, the monoclonal antibody produced against the M-tPKM2 could recognize the native PKM2 in the MCF7 cells. Our finding suggested that for the purpose of designing an antigen with the ability to produce a potent antibody against the target protein, it is better to select sequences which have a similar structure in truncated and native proteins, even at the cost of having shorter sequences and fewer epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahboubeh Razzaqi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Javad Rasaee
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maliheh Paknejad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Atherstone C, Diederich S, Weingartl HM, Fischer K, Balkema-Buschmann A, Grace D, Alonso S, Dhand NK, Ward MP, Mor SM. Evidence of exposure to henipaviruses in domestic pigs in Uganda. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 66:921-928. [PMID: 30576076 PMCID: PMC6849855 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV), belonging to the genus Henipavirus, are among the most pathogenic of viruses in humans. Old World fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) are the natural reservoir hosts. Molecular and serological studies found evidence of henipavirus infection in fruit bats from several African countries. However, little is known about the potential for spillover into domestic animals in East Africa, particularly pigs, which served as amplifying hosts during the first outbreak of NiV in Malaysia and Singapore. We collected sera from 661 pigs presented for slaughter in Uganda between December 2015 and October 2016. Using HeV G and NiV G indirect ELISAs, 14 pigs (2%) were seroreactive in at least one ELISA. Seroprevalence increased to 5.4% in October 2016, when pigs were 9.5 times more likely to be seroreactive than pigs sampled in December 2015 (p = 0.04). Eight of the 14 ELISA‐positive samples reacted with HeV N antigen in Western blot. None of the sera neutralized HeV or NiV in plaque reduction neutralization tests. Although we did not detect neutralizing antibodies, our results suggest that pigs in Uganda are exposed to henipaviruses or henipa‐like viruses. Pigs in this study were sourced from many farms throughout Uganda, suggesting multiple (albeit rare) introductions of henipaviruses into the pig population. We postulate that given the widespread distribution of Old World fruit bats in Africa, spillover of henipaviruses from fruit bats to pigs in Uganda could result in exposure of pigs at multiple locations. A higher risk of a spillover event at the end of the dry season might be explained by higher densities of bats and contact with pigs at this time of the year, exacerbated by nutritional stress in bat populations and their reproductive cycle. Future studies should prioritize determining the risk of spillover of henipaviruses from pigs to people, so that potential risks can be mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Atherstone
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Hana M Weingartl
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anne Balkema-Buschmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Delia Grace
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Silvia Alonso
- International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Navneet K Dhand
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Fischer K, Diederich S, Smith G, Reiche S, Pinho dos Reis V, Stroh E, Groschup MH, Weingartl HM, Balkema-Buschmann A. Indirect ELISA based on Hendra and Nipah virus proteins for the detection of henipavirus specific antibodies in pigs. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194385. [PMID: 29708971 PMCID: PMC5927399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) belong to the genus Henipavirus in the family Paramyxoviridae. Henipavirus infections were first reported in the 1990’s causing severe and often fatal outbreaks in domestic animals and humans in Southeast Asia and Australia. NiV infections were observed in humans in Bangladesh, India and in the first outbreak in Malaysia, where pigs were also infected. HeV infections occurred in horses in the North-Eastern regions of Australia, with singular transmission events to humans. Bats of the genus Pteropus have been identified as the reservoir hosts for henipaviruses. Molecular and serological indications for the presence of henipa-like viruses in African fruit bats, pigs and humans have been published recently. In our study, truncated forms of HeV and NiV attachment (G) proteins as well as the full-length NiV nucleocapsid (N) protein were expressed using different expression systems. Based on these recombinant proteins, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) were developed for the detection of HeV or NiV specific antibodies in porcine serum samples. We used the NiV N ELISA for initial serum screening considering the general reactivity against henipaviruses. The G protein based ELISAs enabled the differentiation between HeV and NiV infections, since as expected, the sera displayed higher reactivity with the respective homologous antigens. In the future, these assays will present valuable tools for serosurveillance of swine and possibly other livestock or wildlife species in affected areas. Such studies will help assessing the potential risk for human and animal health worldwide by elucidating the distribution of henipaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Greg Smith
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Sven Reiche
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Vinicius Pinho dos Reis
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Eileen Stroh
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H. Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Hana M. Weingartl
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Anne Balkema-Buschmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Immunogenicity and functional characterization of Leishmania-derived hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein complex. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30627. [PMID: 27481352 PMCID: PMC4969751 DOI: 10.1038/srep30627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 are the main inducers of a cross-neutralizing antibody response which plays an important role in the early phase of viral infection. Correctly folded and immunologically active E1E2 complex can be expressed in mammalian cells, though the production process might still prove restrictive, even if the immunological response of a vaccine candidate is positive. Here, we report a characterization and immunogenicity study of a full-length (fE1E2) and soluble version of the E1E2 complex (tE1E2) from genotype 1a, successfully expressed in the cells of Leishmania tarentolae. In a functional study, we confirmed the binding of both Leishmania-derived E1E2 complexes to the CD-81 receptor and the presence of the major epitopes participating in a neutralizing antibody response. Both complexes were proved to be highly immunogenic in mice and elicited neutralizing antibody response. Moreover, cross-reactivity of the mouse sera was detected for all tested HCV genotypes with the highest signal intensity observed for genotypes 1a, 1b, 5 and 6. Since the development of a prophylactic vaccine against HCV is still needed to control the global infection, our Leishmania-derived E1E2 glycoproteins could be considered a potential cost-effective vaccine candidate.
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Leishmania-based expression systems. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:7377-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7712-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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