Calcium is required in reassembly of bovine papillomavirus in vitro

Multivalent ions and biomolecules: Attempting a comprehensive perspective

Ions are ubiquitous in nature. They play a key role for many biological processes on the molecular scale, from molecular interactions, to mechanical properties, to folding, to self-organisation and assembly, to reaction equilibria, to signalling, to energy and material transport, to recognition etc. Going beyond monovalent ions to multivalent ions, the effects of the ions are frequently not only stronger (due to the obviously higher charge), but qualitatively different. A typical example is the process of binding of multivalent ions, such as Ca2+ , to a macromolecule and the consequences of this ion binding such as compaction, collapse, potential charge inversion and precipitation of the macromolecule. Here we review these effects and phenomena induced by multivalent ions for biological (macro)molecules, from the "atomistic/molecular" local picture of (potentially specific) interactions to the more global picture of phase behaviour including, e. g., crystallisation, phase separation, oligomerisation etc. Rather than attempting an encyclopedic list of systems, we rather aim for an embracing discussion using typical case studies. We try to cover predominantly three main classes: proteins, nucleic acids, and amphiphilic molecules including interface effects. We do not cover in detail, but make some comparisons to, ion channels, colloidal systems, and synthetic polymers. While there are obvious differences in the behaviour of, and the relevance of multivalent ions for, the three main classes of systems, we also point out analogies. Our attempt of a comprehensive discussion is guided by the idea that there are not only important differences and specific phenomena with regard to the effects of multivalent ions on the main systems, but also important similarities. We hope to bridge physico-chemical mechanisms, concepts of soft matter, and biological observations and connect the different communities further.

Characterization of the disassembly and reassembly of the HBV glycoprotein surface antigen, a pliable nanoparticle vaccine platform

While nanoparticle vaccine technology is gaining interest due to the success of vaccines like those for the human papillomavirus that is based on viral capsid nanoparticles, little information is available on the disassembly and reassembly of viral surface glycoprotein-based nanoparticles. One such particle is the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (sAg) that exists as nanoparticles. Here we show, using biochemical analysis coupled with electron microscopy, that sAg nanoparticle disassembly requires both reducing agent to disrupt intermolecular disulfide bonds, and detergent to disrupt hydrophobic interactions that stabilize the nanoparticle. Particles were otherwise resistant to salt and urea, suggesting the driving mechanism of particle formation involves hydrophobic interactions. We reassembled isolated sAg protein into nanoparticles by detergent removal and reassembly resulted in a wider distribution of particle diameters. Knowledge of these driving forces of nanoparticle assembly and stability should facilitate construction of epitope-displaying nanoparticles that can be used as immunogens in vaccines.

Uncoating Mechanism of Carnation Mottle Virus Revealed by Cryo-EM Single Particle Analysis

Genome uncoating is a prerequisite for the successful infection of plant viruses in host plants. Thus far, little is known about the genome uncoating of the Carnation mottle virus (CarMV). Here, we obtained two reconstructions of CarMV at pH7 in the presence (Ca-pH7) and absence (EDTA-pH7) of calcium ions by Cryo-EM single particle analysis, which achieved 6.4 Å and 8 Å resolutions respectively. Our results showed that chelation of the calcium ions under EDTA-pH7 resulted in reduced interaction between the subunits near the center of the asymmetric unit but not overall size change of the viral particles, which indicated that the role of the calcium ions in CarMV was not predominantly for the structural preservation. Part of the genomic RNA closest to the capsid was found to be located near the center of the asymmetric unit, which might result from the interaction between genomic RNA and Lys194 residues. Together with the electrostatic potential analysis on the inner surface of the asymmetric unit, the reduced interaction near the center of the asymmetric unit under EDTA-pH7 suggested that the genome release of CarMV might be realized through the center of the asymmetric unit.

In planta production of a candidate vaccine against bovine papillomavirus type 1

Bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) is an economically important virus that induces tumourigenic pathologies in horses and cows. Given that the BPV-1 L1 major coat protein can self-assemble into highly immunogenic higher-order structures, we transiently expressed it in Nicotiana benthamiana as a prelude to producing a candidate vaccine. It was found that plant codon optimization of L1 gave higher levels of expression than its non-optimized counterpart. Following protein extraction, we obtained high yields (183 mg/kg fresh weight leaf tissue) of relatively pure L1, which had self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs). We found that these VLPs elicited a highly specific and strong immune response, and therefore they may have utility as a potential vaccine. This is the first report demonstrating the viable production of a candidate BPV vaccine protein in plants.

Principles of polyoma- and papillomavirus uncoating

Virus particles are vehicles for transmission of the viral genetic information between infected and uninfected cells and organisms. They have evolved to self-assemble, to serve as a protective shell for the viral genome during transfer, and to disassemble when entering a target cell. Disassembly during entry is a complex, multi-step process typically termed uncoating. Uncoating is triggered by multiple host-cell interactions. During cell entry, these interactions occur sequentially in different cellular compartments that the viruses pass through on their way to the site of replication. Here, we highlight the general principles of uncoating for two structurally related virus families, the polyoma- and papillomaviruses. Recent research indicates the use of different compartments and cellular interactions for uncoating despite their structural similarity.

Do we have to explicitly model the ions in brownian dynamics simulations of proteins?

Brownian dynamics (BD) is a very efficient coarse-grained simulation technique which is based on Einstein's explanation of the diffusion of colloidal particles. On these length scales well beyond the solvent granularity, a treatment of the electrostatic interactions on a Debye-Hückel (DH) level with its continuous ion densities is consistent with the implicit solvent of BD. On the other hand, since many years BD is being used as a workhorse simulation technique for the much smaller biological proteins. Here, the assumption of a continuous ion density, and therefore the validity of the DH electrostatics, becomes questionable. We therefore investigated for a few simple cases how far the efficient DH electrostatics with point charges can be used and when the ions should be included explicitly in the BD simulation. We find that for large many-protein scenarios or for binary association rates, the conventional continuum methods work well and that the ions should be included explicitly when detailed association trajectories or protein folding are investigated.

Comparative analysis of recombinant Human Papillomavirus 8 L1 production in plants by a variety of expression systems and purification methods

Human papillomavirus 8 (HPV-8), one of the high-risk cutaneous papillomaviruses (cHPVs), is associated with epidermodysplasia verruciformis and nonmelanoma skin cancer in immuno-compromised individuals. Currently, no vaccines against cHPVs have been reported; however, recent studies on cross-neutralizing properties of their capsid proteins (CP) have fostered an interest in vaccine production against these viruses. We examined the potential of producing HPV-8 major CP L1 in Nicotiana benthamiana by agroinfiltration of different transient expression vectors: (i) the binary vector pBIN19 with or without silencing suppressor constructs, (ii) the nonreplicating Cowpea mosaic virus-derived expression vector pEAQ-HT and (iii) a replicating Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-based vector alone or with signal peptides. Although HPV-8 L1 was successfully expressed using pEAQ-HT and TMV, a 15-fold increase was obtained with pEAQ-HT. In contrast, no L1 protein could be immune detected using pBIN19 irrespective of whether silencing suppressors were coexpressed, although such constructs were required for identifying L1-specific transcripts. A fourfold yield increase in L1 expression was obtained when 22 C-terminal amino acids were deleted (L1ΔC22), possibly eliminating a nuclear localization signal. Electron microscopy showed that plant-made HPV-8 L1 proteins assembled in appropriate virus-like particles (VLPs) of T = 1 or T = 7 symmetry. Ultrathin sections of L1ΔC22-expressing cells revealed their accumulation in the cytoplasm in the form of VLPs or paracrystalline arrays. These results show for the first time the production and localization of HPV-8 L1 protein in planta and its assembly into VLPs representing promising candidate for potential vaccine production.

Entropically driven self-assembly of Lysinibacillus sphaericus S-layer proteins analyzed under various environmental conditions

S-Layer proteins are an example of bionanostructures that can be exploited in nanofabrication. In addition to their ordered structure, the ability to self-assembly is a key feature that makes them a promising technological tool. Here, in vitro self-assembly kinetics of SpbA was investigated, and found that it occurs at a rate that is dependent on temperature, its concentration, and the concentration of calcium ions and sodium chloride. The activation enthalpy (120.81 kJ . mol(-1)) and entropy (129.34 J . mol(-1) . K(-1)) obtained infers that the incorporation of monomers incurs in a net loss of hydrophobic surface. By understanding how the protein monomers drive the self-assembly at different conditions, the rational optimization of this process was feasible.

Roles of cysteines Cys115 and Cys201 in the assembly and thermostability of grouper betanodavirus particles

The virus-like particle (VLP) assembled from capsid subunits of the dragon grouper nervous necrosis virus (DGNNV) is very similar to its native T = 3 virion. In order to investigate the effects of four cysteine residues in the capsid polypeptide on the assembly/dissociation pathways of DGNNV virions, we recombinantly cloned mutant VLPs by mutating each cysteine to destroy the specific disulfide linkage as compared with thiol reduction to destroy all S–S bonds. The mutant VLPs of C187A and C331A mutations were similar to wild-type VLPs (WT-VLPs); hence, the effects of Cys187 and Cys331 on the particle formation and thermostability were presumably negligible. Electron microscopy showed that either C115A or C201A mutation disrupted de novo VLP formation significantly. As shown in micrographs and thermal decay curves, β-mercaptoethanol-treated WT-VLPs remained intact, merely resulting in lower tolerance to thermal disruption than native WT-VLPs. This thiol reduction broke disulfide linkages inside the pre-fabricated VLPs, but it did not disrupt the appearance of icosahedrons. Small dissociated capsomers from EGTA-treated VLPs were able to reassemble back to icosahedrons in the presence of calcium ions, but additional treatment with β-mercaptoethanol during EGTA dissociation resulted in inability of the capsomers to reassemble into the icosahedral form. These results indicated that Cys115 and Cys201 were essential for capsid formation of DGNNV icosahedron structure in de novo assembly and reassembly pathways, as well as for the thermal stability of pre-fabricated particles.

Role of the DxxDxD motif in the assembly and stability of betanodavirus particles

Piscine betanodavirus possesses a bipartite genome of single-stranded (+)RNAs. RNA2 cDNA of dragon grouper nervous necrosis virus (DGNNV) has been expressed previously to form virus-like particles (VLPs), which are highly similar to the native virion. Experiments with calcium-chelating or reducing/oxidizing reagents showed that the DGNNV VLPs required only calcium for particle assembly. With the recombinant VLPs, site-directed mutagenesis can be employed to investigate the roles of calcium-binding ligands in particle formation. The results of mutational analysis of DxxDxD, which is putatively involved in the coordination of calcium ions, showed that the D133N mutation significantly disrupted the assembly of VLPs, while D130N and D135N mutants produced heterogeneous VLPs with broken shapes. The thermal stability of the VLP-forming fractions demonstrated that VLPs of the D135N mutant were stable at a temperature of 85 degrees C, which is slightly higher than that for wild-type, whereas VLPs of the D130N mutant could not tolerate the thermal effects at a temperature higher than 60 degrees C. It was deduced that the three aspartate residues of the motif DxxDxD are all important for the efficient formation of DGNNV VLPs and that, among them, the DxxD provides a more stable coordinate of calcium ligand than DxD.

Disassembly and reassembly of yeast‐derived recombinant human papillomavirus virus‐like particles (HPV VLPs)

The human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like particles (VLPs) produced by recombinant expression systems are promising candidate vaccine antigens for prevention of cervical cancers as well as genital warts. However, expression of HPV type 6, 11, and 16 L1 proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yielded irregularly shaped, broadly distributed VLPs smaller in size (30-50 nm) than expected (60 nm). In this study, we demonstrate that these HPV VLPs can be disassembled into the constituent capsomers (L1 pentamers) by incubation at low ionic strength and elevated pH in the presence of relatively low concentration of reducing agents. Following the removal of reducing agents, lowering of pH and increasing of ionic strength, the capsomers spontaneously reassembled into homogenous, 60-nm VLPs characterized by significantly enhanced structural stability and improved immunogenicity. In order to achieve quantitative recovery of HPV VLPs, the disassembly/reassembly process was further optimized by use of high ionic strength (>0.5 M sodium chloride) to prevent aggregation of VLPs. The reassembled VLPs possess an architectural structure very similar to that of the natural HPV virus particles. This development illustrates how the natural, in vivo mechanisms facilitating cell entry and virus replication can be utilized to achieve an optimal, in vitro assembly state of yeast-expressed HPV VLPs.

Intranasal immunization with human papillomavirus type 16 capsomeres in the presence of non-toxic cholera toxin-based adjuvants elicits increased vaginal immunoglobulin levels

Prophylactic immunization against human papillomaviruses (HPVs) aims preferentially at the generation of antibodies, which are directed against the virus capsid proteins. DNA-free virus-like particles or their pentameric subunits, the capsomeres represent suitable antigens. Here we investigated if anti-HPV16 L1 specific antibodies and L1-specific CTL induced by intranasal immunization with capsomeres in sera and vaginal washings of C57Bl6 mice can be enhanced by co-application of the non-toxic cholera toxin adjuvants CTA1-D2D1 or CTB. We found that CTA1-D2D1 elevated L1-specific serum IgG antibodies in a dose-dependent manner and both CTA1-D2D1 and CTB significantly increased L1-specific IgA antibody levels in the vaginal lumen. Furthermore, CTA1-D2D1 and CTB enhanced L1-specific CTL responses.

Hantavirus nucleocapsid protein: a multifunctional molecule with both housekeeping and ambassadorial duties

In recent years important progress has been made studying the nucleocapsid (N) protein of hantaviruses. The N protein presents a good example of a multifunctional viral macromolecule. It is a major structural component of a virion that encapsidates viral RNA (vRNA). It also interacts with the virus polymerase (L protein) and one of the glycoproteins. On top of these "house keeping" duties, the N protein performs interactive "ambassadorial" functions interfering with important regulatory pathways in the infected cells.

Human papillomavirus type 16 L1 capsomeres induce L1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and tumor regression in C57BL/6 mice

We analyzed capsomeres of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) consisting of the L1 major structural protein for their ability to trigger a cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) response. To this end, we immunized C57BL/6 mice and used the L1(165-173) peptide for ex vivo restimulation of splenocytes prior to analysis ((51)Cr release assay and enzyme-linked immunospot assay [ELISPOT]). This peptide was identified in this study as a D(b)-restricted naturally processed CTL epitope by HPV16 L1 sequence analysis, major histocompatibility complex class I binding, and (51)Cr release assays following immunization of C57BL/6 mice with HPV16 L1 virus-like particles (VLPs). HPV16 L1 capsomeres were obtained by purification of HPV16 L1 lacking 10 N-terminal amino acids after expression in Escherichia coli as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (GST-HPV16 L1 Delta N10). Sedimentation analysis revealed that the majority of the purified protein consisted of pentameric capsomeres, and assembled particles were not observed in minor contaminating higher-molecular-weight material. Subcutaneous (s.c.) as well as intranasal immunization of C57BL/6 mice with HPV16 L1 capsomeres triggered an L1-specific CTL response in a dose-dependent manner as measured by ELISPOT and (51)Cr release assay. Significant reduction of contaminating bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) from the capsomere preparation did not diminish the immunogenicity. Antibody responses (serum and vaginal) were less robust under the experimental conditions employed. In addition, s.c. vaccination with HPV16 L1 capsomeres induced regression of established tumors expressing L1 determinants (C3 tumor cells). Our data demonstrate that capsomeres are potent inducers of CTL responses similar to completely assembled T=7 VLPs. This result is of potential relevance for the development of (combined prophylactic and therapeutic) HPV-specific vaccines, since capsomeres can be produced easily and also can be modified to incorporate heterologous sequences such as early HPV proteins.

Interaction of hepatitis C virus-like particles and cells: a model system for studying viral binding and entry

Hepatitis C virus-like particles (HCV-LPs) containing the structural proteins of HCV H77 strain (1a genotype) was used as a model for HCV virion to study virus-cell interaction. HCV-LPs showed a buoyant density of 1.17 to 1.22 g/cm(3) in a sucrose gradient and formed double-shelled particles 35 to 49 nm in diameter. Flow cytometry analysis by an indirect method (detection with anti-E2 antibody) and a direct method (use of dye-labeled HCV-LPs) showed that HCV-LPs binds to several human hepatic (primary hepatocytes, HepG2, HuH7, and NKNT-3) and T-cell (Molt-4) lines. HCV-LPs binding to cells occurred in a dose- and calcium-dependent manner and was not mediated by CD81. Scatchard plot analysis suggests the presence of two binding sites for HCV-LPs with high (K(d) approximately 1 microg/ml) and low (K(d) approximately 50 to 60 microg/ml) affinities of binding. Anti-E1 and -E2 antibodies inhibited HCV-LPs binding to cells. While preincubation of HCV-LPs with very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) blocked its binding to cells, preincubation of cells with VLDL, LDL, HDL, or anti-LDL-R antibody did not. Confocal microscopy analysis showed that, after binding to cells, dye-labeled HCV-LPs were internalized into the cytoplasm. This process could be inhibited with anti-E1 or anti-E2 antibodies, suggesting that E1 and E2 proteins mediate HCV-LPs binding and, subsequently, their entry into cells. Altogether, our results indicate that HCV-LPs can be used to further characterize the mechanisms involved in the early steps of HCV infection.

Detection of neutralizing antibodies against human papillomaviruses (HPV) by inhibition of gene transfer mediated by HPV pseudovirions

The goal of this study was to develop a human papillomavirus (HPV) neutralization assay using HPV pseudovirions generated in vitro. For this purpose, gene transfer efficiency of HPV virus-like particles (VLPs) was improved by using direct interaction between a reporter plasmid and the VLPs. Electron microscopic observation of the interaction between DNA molecules and VLPs revealed that VLPs always interact with a single DNA molecule and that VLPs bind to the end of linearized DNA molecules. An 100-fold improvement in the gene transfer was obtained by simple interaction between a linearized DNA molecule and VLPs. Moreover, direct interaction methods offer the possibility of transferring plasmids a size higher than that of the papillomavirus genome. The approach that we developed to generate HPV-16 and HPV-31 pseudovirions proved to be suitable for testing neutralizing antibodies in human sera both after immunization and after natural infection.

Interaction between molecules of hantavirus nucleocapsid protein

Intermolecular interactions of Tula hantavirus N (nucleocapsid) protein were detected in the yeast two-hybrid system, prompting further attempts to study this phenomenon. Using chemical cross-linking and immunoblotting it was shown that the N protein from purified virus and from infected cell lysates as well as recombinant protein produced in a baculovirus expression system are capable of forming dimers, trimers and multimers, thus confirming the capacity of the protein molecules to interact with each other. An ELISA format was developed in which molecules of the recombinant N protein were shown to associate non-covalently, via electrostatic interactions. Divalent cations (Ca(2+), Mn(2+), Mg(2+), Ba(2+)) enhanced the process 3- to 8-fold suggesting that adequate folding of the N protein is crucial for the association. Based on these data a model for hantavirus nucleocapsid assembly is proposed, in which N molecules first trimerize around the viral RNA molecule, and then the trimers gradually assemble forming longer multimers.