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Byrne PO, Blade EG, Fisher BE, Ambrozak DR, Ramamohan AR, Graham BS, Loomis RJ, McLellan JS. Prefusion stabilization of the Hendra and Langya virus F proteins. J Virol 2024; 98:e0137223. [PMID: 38214525 PMCID: PMC10878279 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01372-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) are pathogenic paramyxoviruses that cause mild-to-severe disease in humans. As members of the Henipavirus genus, NiV and HeV use an attachment (G) glycoprotein and a class I fusion (F) glycoprotein to invade host cells. The F protein rearranges from a metastable prefusion form to an extended postfusion form to facilitate host cell entry. Prefusion NiV F elicits higher neutralizing antibody titers than postfusion NiV F, indicating that stabilization of prefusion F may aid vaccine development. A combination of amino acid substitutions (L104C/I114C, L172F, and S191P) is known to stabilize NiV F in its prefusion conformation, although the extent to which substitutions transfer to other henipavirus F proteins is not known. Here, we perform biophysical and structural studies to investigate the mechanism of prefusion stabilization in F proteins from three henipaviruses: NiV, HeV, and Langya virus (LayV). Three known stabilizing substitutions from NiV F transfer to HeV F and exert similar structural and functional effects. One engineered disulfide bond, located near the fusion peptide, is sufficient to stabilize the prefusion conformations of both HeV F and LayV F. Although LayV F shares low overall sequence identity with NiV F and HeV F, the region around the fusion peptide exhibits high sequence conservation across all henipaviruses. Our findings indicate that substitutions targeting this site of conformational change might be applicable to prefusion stabilization of other henipavirus F proteins and support the use of NiV as a prototypical pathogen for henipavirus vaccine antigen design.IMPORTANCEPathogenic henipaviruses such as Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) cause respiratory symptoms, with severe cases resulting in encephalitis, seizures, and coma. The work described here shows that the NiV and HeV fusion (F) proteins share common structural features with the F protein from an emerging henipavirus, Langya virus (LayV). Sequence alignment alone was sufficient to predict which known prefusion-stabilizing amino acid substitutions from NiV F would stabilize the prefusion conformations of HeV F and LayV F. This work also reveals an unexpected oligomeric interface shared by prefusion HeV F and NiV F. Together, these advances lay a foundation for future antigen design targeting henipavirus F proteins. In this way, Nipah virus can serve as a prototypical pathogen for the development of protective vaccines and monoclonal antibodies to prepare for potential henipavirus outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick O. Byrne
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Elizabeth G. Blade
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Brian E. Fisher
- Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - David R. Ambrozak
- Immunology Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ajit R. Ramamohan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | - Rebecca J. Loomis
- Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jason S. McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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Yang YR, Han J, Perrett HR, Richey ST, Jackson AM, Rodriguez AJ, Gillespie RA, O’Connell S, Raab JE, Cominsky LY, Chopde A, Kanekiyo M, Houser KV, Chen GL, McDermott AB, Andrews SF, Ward AB. Immune memory shapes human polyclonal antibody responses to H2N2 vaccination. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.23.554525. [PMID: 37781590 PMCID: PMC10541104 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.23.554525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Influenza A virus subtype H2N2, which caused the 1957 influenza pandemic, remains a global threat. A recent phase I clinical trial investigating a ferritin nanoparticle displaying H2 hemagglutinin in H2-naïve and H2-exposed adults. Therefore, we could perform comprehensive structural and biochemical characterization of immune memory on the breadth and diversity of the polyclonal serum antibody response elicited after H2 vaccination. We temporally map the epitopes targeted by serum antibodies after first and second vaccinations and show previous H2 exposure results in higher responses to the variable head domain of hemagglutinin while initial responses in H2-naïve participants are dominated by antibodies targeting conserved epitopes. We use cryo-EM and monoclonal B cell isolation to describe the molecular details of cross-reactive antibodies targeting conserved epitopes on the hemagglutinin head including the receptor binding site and a new site of vulnerability deemed the medial junction. Our findings accentuate the impact of pre-existing influenza exposure on serum antibody responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhe R. Yang
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Julianna Han
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Hailee R. Perrett
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sara T. Richey
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Abigail M. Jackson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Alesandra J. Rodriguez
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Gillespie
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Sarah O’Connell
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Julie E. Raab
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Lauren Y. Cominsky
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Ankita Chopde
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Masaru Kanekiyo
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Katherine V. Houser
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Grace L. Chen
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Adrian B. McDermott
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Sarah F. Andrews
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20902, USA
| | - Andrew B. Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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Perrett HR, Brouwer PJM, Hurtado J, Newby ML, Liu L, Müller-Kräuter H, Müller Aguirre S, Burger JA, Bouhuijs JH, Gibson G, Messmer T, Schieffelin JS, Antanasijevic A, Boons GJ, Strecker T, Crispin M, Sanders RW, Briney B, Ward AB. Structural conservation of Lassa virus glycoproteins and recognition by neutralizing antibodies. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112524. [PMID: 37209096 PMCID: PMC10242449 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Lassa fever is an acute hemorrhagic fever caused by the zoonotic Lassa virus (LASV). The LASV glycoprotein complex (GPC) mediates viral entry and is the sole target for neutralizing antibodies. Immunogen design is complicated by the metastable nature of recombinant GPCs and the antigenic differences among phylogenetically distinct LASV lineages. Despite the sequence diversity of the GPC, structures of most lineages are lacking. We present the development and characterization of prefusion-stabilized, trimeric GPCs of LASV lineages II, V, and VII, revealing structural conservation despite sequence diversity. High-resolution structures and biophysical characterization of the GPC in complex with GP1-A-specific antibodies suggest their neutralization mechanisms. Finally, we present the isolation and characterization of a trimer-preferring neutralizing antibody belonging to the GPC-B competition group with an epitope that spans adjacent protomers and includes the fusion peptide. Our work provides molecular detail information on LASV antigenic diversity and will guide efforts to design pan-LASV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailee R Perrett
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Philip J M Brouwer
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jonathan Hurtado
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Viral Systems Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Maddy L Newby
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Lin Liu
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | | | - Judith A Burger
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, the Netherlands
| | - Joey H Bouhuijs
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, the Netherlands
| | - Grace Gibson
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Terrence Messmer
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - John S Schieffelin
- Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Aleksandar Antanasijevic
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Geert-Jan Boons
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CG, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Strecker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, the Netherlands; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Bryan Briney
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Viral Systems Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Buck TK, Enriquez AS, Schendel SL, Zandonatti MA, Harkins SS, Li H, Moon-Walker A, Robinson JE, Branco LM, Garry RF, Saphire EO, Hastie KM. Neutralizing Antibodies against Lassa Virus Lineage I. mBio 2022;:e0127822. [PMID: 35730904 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01278-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV) is the causative agent of the deadly Lassa fever (LF). Seven distinct LASV lineages circulate through western Africa, among which lineage I (LI), the first to be identified, is particularly resistant to antibody neutralization. Lineage I LASV evades neutralization by half of known antibodies in the GPC-A antibody competition group and all but one of the antibodies in the GPC-B competition group. Here, we solve two cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of LI GP in complex with a GPC-A and a GPC-B antibody. We used complementary structural and biochemical techniques to identify single-amino-acid substitutions in LI that are responsible for immune evasion by each antibody group. Further, we show that LI infection is more dependent on the endosomal receptor lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) for viral entry relative to LIV. In the absence of LAMP1, LI requires a more acidic fusion pH to initiate membrane fusion with the host cell relative to LIV.
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Enriquez AS, Buck TK, Li H, Norris MJ, Moon-Walker A, Zandonatti MA, Harkins SS, Robinson JE, Branco LM, Garry RF, Saphire EO, Hastie KM. Delineating the mechanism of anti-Lassa virus GPC-A neutralizing antibodies. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110841. [PMID: 35613585 PMCID: PMC9258627 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV) is the etiologic agent of Lassa Fever, a hemorrhagic disease that is endemic to West Africa. During LASV infection, LASV glycoprotein (GP) engages with multiple host receptors for cell entry. Neutralizing antibodies against GP are rare and principally target quaternary epitopes displayed only on the metastable, pre-fusion conformation of GP. Currently, the structural features of the neutralizing GPC-A antibody competition group are understudied. Structures of two GPC-A antibodies presented here demonstrate that they bind the side of the pre-fusion GP trimer, bridging the GP1 and GP2 subunits. Complementary biochemical analyses indicate that antibody 25.10C, which is broadly specific, neutralizes by inhibiting binding of the endosomal receptor LAMP1 and also by blocking membrane fusion. The other GPC-A antibody, 36.1F, which is lineage-specific, prevents LAMP1 association only. These data illuminate a site of vulnerability on LASV GP and will guide efforts to elicit broadly reactive therapeutics and vaccines. Enriquez et al. present two structures of GPC-A antibody Fab fragments bound to Lassa virus glycoprotein. Complementary biochemical analyses illuminate mechanistic differences between pan-Lassa 25.10C and lineage-specific 36.1F. 25.10C inhibits two steps of Lassa virus infection, LAMP1 binding and membrane fusion, while 36.1F only blocks LAMP1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tierra K Buck
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Haoyang Li
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | | | - Alex Moon-Walker
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Program in Virology, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | | | | | - James E Robinson
- Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | | | - Robert F Garry
- Zalgen Labs, LLC, Germantown, MD 20876, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Derking R, Sanders RW. Structure-guided envelope trimer design in HIV-1 vaccine development: a narrative review. J Int AIDS Soc 2021; 24 Suppl 7:e25797. [PMID: 34806305 PMCID: PMC8606863 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The development of a human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) vaccine remains a formidable challenge. An effective vaccine likely requires the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which likely involves the use of native-like HIV-1 envelope (Env) trimers at some or all stages of vaccination. Development of such trimers has been very difficult, but much progress has been made in the past decade, starting with the BG505 SOSIP trimer, elucidation of its atomic structure and implementing subsequent design iterations. This progress facilitated understanding the weaknesses of the Env trimer, fuelled structure-guided HIV-1 vaccine design and assisted in the development of new vaccine designs. This review summarizes the relevant literature focusing on studies using structural biology to reveal and define HIV-1 Env sites of vulnerability; to improve Env trimers, by creating more stable versions; understanding antibody responses in preclinical vaccination studies at the atomic level; understanding the glycan shield; and to improve "on-target" antibody responses versus "off-target" responses. METHODS The authors conducted a narrative review of recently published articles that made a major contribution to HIV-1 structural biology and vaccine design efforts between the years 2000 and 2021. DISCUSSION The field of structural biology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, where cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallography provide complementary information. Resolving protein structures is necessary for defining which Env surfaces are accessible for the immune system and can be targeted by neutralizing antibodies. Recently developed techniques, such as electron microscopy-based polyclonal epitope mapping (EMPEM) are revolutionizing the way we are analysing immune responses and shed light on the immunodominant targets on new vaccine immunogens. Such information accelerates iterative vaccine design; for example, by reducing undesirable off-target responses, while improving immunogens to drive the more desirable on-target responses. CONCLUSIONS Resolving high-resolution structures of the HIV-1 Env trimer was instrumental in understanding and improving recombinant HIV-1 Env trimers that mimic the structure of viral HIV-1 Env spikes. Newly emerging techniques in structural biology are aiding vaccine design efforts and improving immunogens. The role of structural biology in HIV-1 vaccine design has indeed become very prominent and is unlikely to diminish any time soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Derking
- Department of Medical MicrobiologyAmsterdam Infection & Immunity InstituteAmsterdam UMC, AMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Rogier W. Sanders
- Department of Medical MicrobiologyAmsterdam Infection & Immunity InstituteAmsterdam UMC, AMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyWeill Medical College of Cornell UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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7
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Stewart-Jones GBE, Gorman J, Ou L, Zhang B, Joyce MG, Yang L, Cheng C, Chuang GY, Foulds KE, Kong WP, Olia AS, Sastry M, Shen CH, Todd JP, Tsybovsky Y, Verardi R, Yang Y, Collins PL, Corti D, Lanzavecchia A, Scorpio DG, Mascola JR, Buchholz UJ, Kwong PD. Interprotomer disulfide-stabilized variants of the human metapneumovirus fusion glycoprotein induce high titer-neutralizing responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2106196118. [PMID: 34551978 PMCID: PMC8488613 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106196118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a major cause of respiratory disease worldwide, particularly among children and the elderly. Although there is no licensed HMPV vaccine, promising candidates have been identified for related pneumoviruses based on the structure-based stabilization of the fusion (F) glycoprotein trimer, with prefusion-stabilized F glycoprotein trimers eliciting significantly higher neutralizing responses than their postfusion F counterparts. However, immunization with HMPV F trimers in either prefusion or postfusion conformations has been reported to elicit equivalent neutralization responses. Here we investigate the impact of stabilizing disulfides, especially interprotomer disulfides (IP-DSs) linking protomers of the F trimer, on the elicitation of HMPV-neutralizing responses. We designed F trimer disulfides, screened for their expression, and used electron microscopy (EM) to confirm their formation, including that of an unexpected postfusion variant. In mice, IP-DS-stabilized prefusion and postfusion HMPV F elicited significantly higher neutralizing responses than non-IP-DS-stabilized HMPV Fs. In macaques, the impact of IP-DS stabilization was more measured, although IP-DS-stabilized variants of either prefusion or postfusion HMPV F induced neutralizing responses many times the average titers observed in a healthy human cohort. Serological and absorption-based analyses of macaque responses revealed elicited HMPV-neutralizing responses to be absorbed differently by IP-DS-containing and by non-IP-DS-containing postfusion Fs, suggesting IP-DS stabilization to alter not only the immunogenicity of select epitopes but their antigenicity as well. We speculate the observed increase in immunogenicity by IP-DS trimers to be related to reduced interprotomer flexibility within the HMPV F trimer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason Gorman
- Vaccine Research Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY 10027
| | - Li Ou
- Vaccine Research Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | | | - M Gordon Joyce
- Vaccine Research Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Lijuan Yang
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Cheng Cheng
- Vaccine Research Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | | | | | | | - Adam S Olia
- Vaccine Research Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | | | | | | | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701
| | | | | | - Peter L Collins
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Davide Corti
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Humabs BioMed SA, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Lanzavecchia
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Ursula J Buchholz
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892;
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8
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Serris A. The Input of Structural Vaccinology in the Search for Vaccines against Bunyaviruses. Viruses 2021; 13:1766. [PMID: 34578349 DOI: 10.3390/v13091766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant increase in the number of viruses causing unexpected illnesses and epidemics among humans, wildlife and livestock has been observed in recent years. These new or re-emerging viruses have often caught the scientific community off-guard, without sufficient knowledge to combat them, as shown by the current coronavirus pandemic. The bunyaviruses, together with the flaviviruses and filoviruses, are the major etiological agents of viral hemorrhagic fever, and several of them have been listed as priority pathogens by the World Health Organization for which insufficient countermeasures exist. Based on new techniques allowing rapid analysis of the repertoire of protective antibodies induced during infection, combined with atomic-level structural information on viral surface proteins, structural vaccinology is now instrumental in the combat against newly emerging threats, as it allows rapid rational design of novel vaccine antigens. Here, we discuss the contribution of structural vaccinology and the current challenges that remain in the search for an efficient vaccine against some of the deadliest bunyaviruses.
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9
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Guest JD, Pierce BG. Structure-Based and Rational Design of a Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine. Viruses 2021; 13:837. [PMID: 34063143 DOI: 10.3390/v13050837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine is a critical yet unfulfilled step in addressing the global disease burden of HCV. While decades of research have led to numerous clinical and pre-clinical vaccine candidates, these efforts have been hindered by factors including HCV antigenic variability and immune evasion. Structure-based and rational vaccine design approaches have capitalized on insights regarding the immune response to HCV and the structures of antibody-bound envelope glycoproteins. Despite successes with other viruses, designing an immunogen based on HCV glycoproteins that can elicit broadly protective immunity against HCV infection is an ongoing challenge. Here, we describe HCV vaccine design approaches where immunogens were selected and optimized through analysis of available structures, identification of conserved epitopes targeted by neutralizing antibodies, or both. Several designs have elicited immune responses against HCV in vivo, revealing correlates of HCV antigen immunogenicity and breadth of induced responses. Recent studies have elucidated the functional, dynamic and immunological features of key regions of the viral envelope glycoproteins, which can inform next-generation immunogen design efforts. These insights and design strategies represent promising pathways to HCV vaccine development, which can be further informed by successful immunogen designs generated for other viruses.
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10
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Loomis RJ, Stewart-Jones GBE, Tsybovsky Y, Caringal RT, Morabito KM, McLellan JS, Chamberlain AL, Nugent ST, Hutchinson GB, Kueltzo LA, Mascola JR, Graham BS. Structure-Based Design of Nipah Virus Vaccines: A Generalizable Approach to Paramyxovirus Immunogen Development. Front Immunol 2020; 11:842. [PMID: 32595632 PMCID: PMC7300195 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Licensed vaccines or therapeutics are rarely available for pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential. Developing interventions for specific pathogens and defining generalizable approaches for related pathogens is a global priority and inherent to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Nipah virus (NiV) poses a significant epidemic threat, and zoonotic transmission from bats-to-humans with high fatality rates occurs almost annually. Human-to-human transmission of NiV has been documented in recent outbreaks leading public health officials and government agencies to declare an urgent need for effective vaccines and therapeutics. Here, we evaluate NiV vaccine antigen design options including the fusion glycoprotein (F) and the major attachment glycoprotein (G). A stabilized prefusion F (pre-F), multimeric G constructs, and chimeric proteins containing both pre-F and G were developed as protein subunit candidate vaccines. The proteins were evaluated for antigenicity and structural integrity using kinetic binding assays, electron microscopy, and other biophysical properties. Immunogenicity of the vaccine antigens was evaluated in mice. The stabilized pre-F trimer and hexameric G immunogens both induced serum neutralizing activity in mice, while the post-F trimer immunogen did not elicit neutralizing activity. The pre-F trimer covalently linked to three G monomers (pre-F/G) induced potent neutralizing antibody activity, elicited responses to the greatest diversity of antigenic sites, and is the lead candidate for clinical development. The specific stabilizing mutations and immunogen designs utilized for NiV were successfully applied to other henipaviruses, supporting the concept of identifying generalizable solutions for prototype pathogens as an approach to pandemic preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Loomis
- Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Guillaume B E Stewart-Jones
- Virology Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ria T Caringal
- Vaccine Production Program, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kaitlyn M Morabito
- Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jason S McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Amy L Chamberlain
- Vaccine Production Program, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sean T Nugent
- Vaccine Production Program, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Geoffrey B Hutchinson
- Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lisa A Kueltzo
- Vaccine Production Program, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - John R Mascola
- Virology Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Barney S Graham
- Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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11
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Moise L, M Biron B, Boyle CM, Kurt Yilmaz N, Jang H, Schiffer C, M Ross T, Martin WD, De Groot AS. T cell epitope engineering: an avian H7N9 influenza vaccine strategy for pandemic preparedness and response. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2018; 14:2203-2207. [PMID: 30015562 PMCID: PMC6183197 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1495303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The delayed availability of vaccine during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic created a sense of urgency to better prepare for the next influenza pandemic. Advancements in manufacturing technology, speed and capacity have been achieved but vaccine effectiveness remains a significant challenge. Here, we describe a novel vaccine design strategy called immune engineering in the context of H7N9 influenza vaccine development. The approach combines immunoinformatic and structure modeling methods to promote protective antibody responses against H7N9 hemagglutinin (HA) by engineering whole antigens to carry seasonal influenza HA memory CD4+ T cell epitopes – without perturbing native antigen structure – by galvanizing HA-specific memory helper T cells that support sustained antibody development against the native target HA. The premise for this vaccine concept rests on (i) the significance of CD4+ T cell memory to influenza immunity, (ii) the essential role CD4+ T cells play in development of neutralizing antibodies, (iii) linked specificity of HA-derived CD4+ T cell epitopes to antibody responses, (iv) the structural plasticity of HA and (v) an illustration of improved antibody response to a prototype engineered recombinant H7-HA vaccine. Immune engineering can be applied to development of vaccines against pandemic concerns, including avian influenza, as well as other difficult targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Moise
- a EpiVax, Inc ., Providence , RI , USA.,b Institute for Immunology and Informatics , University of Rhode Island , Providence , RI , USA.,c Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , University of Rhode Island , Providence , RI , USA
| | | | | | - Nese Kurt Yilmaz
- d Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology , UMass Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA
| | - Hyesun Jang
- e Center for Vaccines and Immunology , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA
| | - Celia Schiffer
- d Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology , UMass Medical School , Worcester , MA , USA
| | - Ted M Ross
- e Center for Vaccines and Immunology , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA.,f Department of Infectious Diseases , University of Georgia , Athens , GA , USA
| | | | - Anne S De Groot
- a EpiVax, Inc ., Providence , RI , USA.,b Institute for Immunology and Informatics , University of Rhode Island , Providence , RI , USA.,c Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , University of Rhode Island , Providence , RI , USA
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12
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Gu H, Liao Y, Zhang J, Wang Y, Liu Z, Cheng P, Wang X, Zou Q, Gu J. Rational Design and Evaluation of an Artificial Escherichia coli K1 Protein Vaccine Candidate Based on the Structure of OmpA. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:172. [PMID: 29876324 PMCID: PMC5974202 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli (E. coli) K1 causes meningitis and remains an unsolved problem in neonates, despite the application of antibiotics and supportive care. The cross-reactivity of bacterial capsular polysaccharides with human antigens hinders their application as vaccine candidates. Thus, protein antigens could be an alternative strategy for the development of an E. coli K1 vaccine. Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of E. coli K1 is a potential vaccine candidate because of its predominant contribution to bacterial pathogenesis and sub-cellular localization. However, little progress has been made regarding the use of OmpA for this purpose due to difficulties in OmpA production. In the present study, we first investigated the immunogenicity of the four extracellular loops of OmpA. Using the structure of OmpA, we rationally designed and successfully generated the artificial protein OmpAVac, composed of connected loops from OmpA. Recombinant OmpAVac was successfully produced in E. coli BL21 and behaved as a soluble homogenous monomer in the aqueous phase. Vaccination with OmpAVac induced Th1, Th2, and Th17 immune responses and conferred effective protection in mice. In addition, OmpAVac-specific antibodies were able to mediate opsonophagocytosis and inhibit bacterial invasion, thereby conferring prophylactic protection in E. coli K1-challenged adult mice and neonatal mice. These results suggest that OmpAVac could be a good vaccine candidate for the control of E. coli K1 infection and provide an additional example of structure-based vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Gu
- National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yaling Liao
- National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiyong Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Cheng
- National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xingyong Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Quanming Zou
- National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiang Gu
- National Engineering Research Center of Immunological Products, Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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13
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Lai JI, Verma D, Bailey-Kellogg C, Ackerman ME. Towards conformational fidelity of a quaternary HIV-1 epitope: computational design and directed evolution of a minimal V1V2 antigen. Protein Eng Des Sel 2018; 31:121-133. [PMID: 29897567 PMCID: PMC6030936 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzy010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Structure-based approaches to antigen design utilize insights from antibody (Ab):antigen interactions and a refined understanding of protective Ab responses to engineer novel antigens presenting epitopes with conformations relevant to eliciting or discovering protective humoral responses. For human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), one model of protection is provided by broadly neutralizing Abs (bnAbs) against epitopes present in the closed prefusion trimeric conformation of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, such as the variable loops 1-2 (V1V2) apex. Here, computational design and directed evolution yielded a novel V1V2 sequence variant with potential utility for inclusion in an immunogen for eliciting bnAbs, or as an epitope probe for their detection. The computational design goal was to engineer a minimal single-chain antigen with three copies of the V1V2 loops to support maintenance of closed prefusion V1V2 trimeric conformation and presentation of bnAb epitopes. Via directed evolution of this computationally designed single-chain antigen, we isolated a V1V2 sequence variant that in monomeric form exhibited preferential recognition by quaternary-preferring and conformation-dependent mAbs. Structural context and transferability of this phenotype to V1V2 sequences from all strains of HIV-1 tested suggest a conformation-stabilizing effect. This example demonstrates the potential utility of computational design and directed evolution-based protein engineering strategies to develop minimal, conformation-stabilized epitope-specific antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I Lai
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Dr, Hanover NH, USA
| | - Deeptak Verma
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, 9 Maynard St, Hanover NH, USA
| | - Chris Bailey-Kellogg
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, 9 Maynard St, Hanover NH, USA
| | - Margaret E Ackerman
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Dr, Hanover NH, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, 1 Medical Center Dr, Lebanon NH, USA
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14
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Abstract
Structure determination of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) presented a number of challenges, but several high-resolution structures have now become available. In 2013, cryo-EM and x-ray structures of soluble, cleaved SOSIP Env trimers from the clade A BG505 strain provided the first glimpses into the Env trimer fold as well as more the variable regions. A recent cryo-EM structure of a native full-length trimer without any stabilizing mutations had the same core structure, but revealed new insights and features. A more comprehensive and higher resolution understanding of the glycan shield has also emerged, enabling a more complete representation of the Env glycoprotein structure. Complexes of Env trimers with broadly neutralizing antibodies have surprisingly illustrated that most of the Env surface can be targeted in natural infection and that the neutralizing epitopes are almost all composed of both peptide and glycan components. These structures have also provided further evidence of the inherent plasticity of Env and how antibodies can exploit this flexibility by perturbing or even stabilizing the trimer to facilitate neutralization. These breakthroughs have stimulated further design and stabilization of Env trimers as well as other platforms to generate trimers that now span multiple subtypes. These Env trimers when used as immunogens, have led to the first vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies for structural and functional analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center, Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, and Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ian A Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center, Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, and Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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15
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Abstract
Antiviral vaccines have been the most successful biomedical intervention for preventing epidemic viral disease. Vaccination for smallpox in humans and rinderpest in cattle was the basis for disease eradication, and recent progress in polio eradication is promising. Although early vaccines were developed empirically by passage in live animals or eggs, more recent vaccines have been developed because of the advent of new technologies, particularly cell culture and molecular biology. Recent technological advances in gene delivery and expression, nanoparticles, protein manufacturing, and adjuvants have created the potential for new vaccine platforms that may provide solutions for vaccines against viral pathogens for which no interventions currently exist. In addition, the technological convergence of human monoclonal antibody isolation, structural biology, and high-throughput sequencing is providing new opportunities for atomic-level immunogen design. Selection of human monoclonal antibodies can identify immunodominant antigenic sites associated with neutralization and provide reagents for stabilizing and solving the structure of viral surface proteins. Understanding the structural basis for neutralization can guide selection of vaccine targets. Deep sequencing of the antibody repertoire and defining the ontogeny of the desired antibody responses can reveal the junctional recombination and somatic mutation requirements for B-cell recognition and affinity maturation. Collectively, this information will provide new strategic approaches for selecting vaccine antigens, formulations, and regimens. Moreover, it creates the potential for rational vaccine design and establishing a catalogue of vaccine technology platforms that would be effective against any given family or class of viral pathogens and improve our readiness to address new emerging viral threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barney S Graham
- NIAID, NIH, Vaccine Research Center, Bethesda, MD 20892-3017, USA.
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16
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McLellan JS, Correia BE, Chen M, Yang Y, Graham BS, Schief WR, Kwong PD. Design and characterization of epitope-scaffold immunogens that present the motavizumab epitope from respiratory syncytial virus. J Mol Biol 2011; 409:853-66. [PMID: 21549714 PMCID: PMC3107930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2011] [Revised: 04/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/15/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory tract infections in infants, but an effective vaccine has not yet been developed. An ideal vaccine would elicit protective antibodies while avoiding virus-specific T-cell responses, which have been implicated in vaccine-enhanced disease with previous RSV vaccines. We propose that heterologous proteins designed to present RSV-neutralizing antibody epitopes and to elicit cognate antibodies have the potential to fulfill these vaccine requirements, as they can be fashioned to be free of viral T-cell epitopes. Here we present the design and characterization of three epitope-scaffolds that present the epitope of motavizumab, a potent neutralizing antibody that binds to a helix-loop-helix motif in the RSV fusion glycoprotein. Two of the epitope-scaffolds could be purified, and one epitope-scaffold based on a Staphylococcus aureus protein A domain bound motavizumab with kinetic and thermodynamic properties consistent with the free epitope-scaffold being stabilized in a conformation that closely resembled the motavizumab-bound state. This epitope-scaffold was well folded as assessed by circular dichroism and isothermal titration calorimetry, and its crystal structure (determined in complex with motavizumab to 1.9 Å resolution) was similar to the computationally designed model, with all hydrogen-bond interactions critical for binding to motavizumab preserved. Immunization of mice with this epitope-scaffold failed to elicit neutralizing antibodies but did elicit sera with F binding activity. The elicitation of F binding antibodies suggests that some of the design criteria for eliciting protective antibodies without virus-specific T-cell responses are being met, but additional optimization of these novel immunogens is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S McLellan
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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