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Kong D, He Y, Wang J, Chi L, Ao X, Ye H, Qiu W, Zhu X, Liao M, Fan H. A single immunization with H5N1 virus-like particle vaccine protects chickens against divergent H5N1 influenza viruses and vaccine efficacy is determined by adjuvant and dosage. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2287682. [PMID: 37994795 PMCID: PMC10763850 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2287682] [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: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The H5N1 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) reveals high variability and threatens poultry production and public health. To prevent the spread of H5N1 HPAIV, we developed an H5N1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine based on the insect cell-baculovirus expression system. Single immunization of the H5N1 VLP vaccines induced high levels of HI antibody titres and provided effective protection against homologous virus challenge comparable to the commercial inactivated vaccine. Meanwhile, we assessed the relative efficacy of different adjuvants by carrying out a head-to-head comparison of the adjuvants ISA 201 and ISA 71 and evaluated whether the two adjuvants could induce broadly protective immunity. The ISA 71 adjuvanted vaccine induced significantly higher levels of Th1 and Th2 immune responses and provided superior cross-protection against antigenically divergent H5N1 virus challenge than the ISA 201 adjuvanted vaccine. Importantly, increasing the vaccine dose could further enhance the cross-protective efficacy of H5N1 VLP vaccine and confer completely sterilizing protection against antigenically divergent H5N1 virus challenge, which was mediated by neutralizing antibodies. Our results suggest that the H5N1 VLP vaccine can provide broad-spectrum protection against divergent H5N1 influenza viruses as determined by adjuvant and vaccine dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexin Kong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanjuan He
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lanyan Chi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang Ao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hejia Ye
- Guangzhou South China Biological Medicine Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weihong Qiu
- Guangzhou South China Biological Medicine Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiutong Zhu
- Guangzhou South China Biological Medicine Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Liao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huiying Fan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Vaccine Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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Kimura-Someya T, Katsura K, Kato-Murayama M, Hosaka T, Uchikubo-Kamo T, Ihara K, Hanada K, Sato S, Murayama K, Kataoka M, Shirouzu M, Someya Y. Structural analyses of the GI.4 norovirus by cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography revealing binding sites for human monoclonal antibodies. J Virol 2024:e0019724. [PMID: 38593321 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00197-24] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Noroviruses are major causative agents of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in humans. There are neither antiviral therapeutic agents nor vaccines for noroviruses at this time. To evaluate the potential usefulness of two previously isolated human monoclonal antibody fragments, CV-1A1 and CV-2F5, we first conducted a single-particle analysis to determine the cryo-electron microscopy structure of virus-like particles (VLPs) from the genogroup I genotype 4 (GI.4) Chiba strain uniformly coated with CV-1A1 fragments. The results revealed that the GI.4-specific CV-1A1 antibody bound to the P2 subdomain, in which amino acids are less conserved and variable. Interestingly, a part of the CV-1A1 intrudes into the histo-blood group antigen-binding site, suggesting that this antibody might exert neutralizing activity. Next, we determined the crystal structure of the protruding (P) domain of the capsid protein in the complex form with the CV-2F5 antibody fragment. Consistent with the cross-reactivity, the CV-2F5 bound to the P1 subdomain, which is rich in amino acids conserved among the GI strains, and moreover induced a disruption of Chiba VLPs. These results suggest that the broadly reactive CV-2F5 antibody can be used as both a universal detection reagent and an antiviral drug for GI noroviruses. IMPORTANCE We conducted the structural analyses of the VP1 protein from the GI.4 Chiba norovirus to identify the binding sites of the previously isolated human monoclonal antibodies CV-1A1 and CV-2F5. The cryo-electron microscopy of the Chiba virus-like particles (VLPs) complexed with the Fv-clasp forms of GI.4-specific CV-1A1 revealed that this antibody binds to the highly variable P2 subdomain, suggesting that this antibody may have neutralizing ability against the GI.4 strains. X-ray crystallography revealed that the CV-2F5 antibody bound to the P1 subdomain, which is rich in conserved amino acids. This result is consistent with the ability of the CV-2F5 antibody to react with a wide variety of GI norovirus strains. It is also found that the CV-2F5 antibody caused a disruption of VLPs. Our findings, together with previous reports on the structures of VP1 proteins and VLPs, are expected to open a path for the structure-based development of antivirals and vaccines against norovirus disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kazushige Katsura
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Toshiaki Hosaka
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Kentaro Ihara
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Hanada
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shin Sato
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Murayama
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Michiyo Kataoka
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mikako Shirouzu
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuichi Someya
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
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Lin YJ, Zimmermann J, Schülke S. Novel adjuvants in allergen-specific immunotherapy: where do we stand? Front Immunol 2024; 15:1348305. [PMID: 38464539 PMCID: PMC10920236 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1348305] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Type I hypersensitivity, or so-called type I allergy, is caused by Th2-mediated immune responses directed against otherwise harmless environmental antigens. Currently, allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the only disease-modifying treatment with the potential to re-establish clinical tolerance towards the corresponding allergen(s). However, conventional AIT has certain drawbacks, including long treatment durations, the risk of inducing allergic side effects, and the fact that allergens by themselves have a rather low immunogenicity. To improve AIT, adjuvants can be a powerful tool not only to increase the immunogenicity of co-applied allergens but also to induce the desired immune activation, such as promoting allergen-specific Th1- or regulatory responses. This review summarizes the knowledge on adjuvants currently approved for use in human AIT: aluminum hydroxide, calcium phosphate, microcrystalline tyrosine, and MPLA, as well as novel adjuvants that have been studied in recent years: oil-in-water emulsions, virus-like particles, viral components, carbohydrate-based adjuvants (QS-21, glucans, and mannan) and TLR-ligands (flagellin and CpG-ODN). The investigated adjuvants show distinct properties, such as prolonging allergen release at the injection site, inducing allergen-specific IgG production while also reducing IgE levels, as well as promoting differentiation and activation of different immune cells. In the future, better understanding of the immunological mechanisms underlying the effects of these adjuvants in clinical settings may help us to improve AIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Ju Lin
- Section Molecular Allergology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Schülke
- Section Molecular Allergology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
- Section Research Allergology (ALG 5), Division of Allergology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
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Kim KJ, Kim G, Bae JH, Song JJ, Kim HS. A pH-Responsive Virus-Like Particle as a Protein Cage for a Targeted Delivery. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302656. [PMID: 37966427 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302656] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
A stimuli-responsive protein self-assembly offers promising utility as a protein nanocage for biotechnological and medical applications. Herein, the development of a virus-like particle (VLP) that undergoes a transition between assembly and disassembly under a neutral and acidic pH, respectively, for a targeted delivery is reported. The structure of the bacteriophage P22 coat protein is used for the computational design of coat subunits that self-assemble into a pH-responsive VLP. Subunit designs are generated through iterative computational cycles of histidine substitutions and evaluation of the interaction energies among the subunits under an acidic and neutral pH. The top subunit designs are tested and one that is assembled into a VLP showing the highest pH-dependent structural transition is selected. The cryo-EM structure of the VLP is determined, and the structural basis of a pH-triggered disassembly is delineated. The utility of the designed VLP is exemplified through the targeted delivery of a cytotoxic protein cargo into tumor cells in a pH-dependent manner. These results provide strategies for the development of self-assembling protein architectures with new functionality for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan-Jip Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Daejon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Gijeong Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Daejon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Jin-Ho Bae
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Daejon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Ji-Joon Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Daejon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Hak-Sung Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Daejon, 34141, South Korea
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Akdeniz M, Al-Shaebi Z, Altunbek M, Bayraktar C, Kayabolen A, Bagci-Onder T, Aydin O. Characterization and discrimination of spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300191. [PMID: 37750467 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300191] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Non-infectious virus-like particles (VLPs) are excellent structures for development of many biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems, vaccine production platforms, and detection techniques for infectious diseases including SARS-CoV-2 VLPs. The characterization of biochemical and biophysical properties of purified VLPs is crucial for development of detection methods and therapeutics. The presence of spike (S) protein in their structure is especially important since S protein induces immunological response. In this study, development of a rapid, low-cost, and easy-to-use technique for both characterization and detection of S protein in the two VLPs, which are SARS-CoV-2 VLPs and HIV-based VLPs was achieved using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). To analyze and classify datasets of SERS spectra obtained from the VLP groups, machine learning classification techniques including support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbors (kNN), and random forest (RF) were utilized. Among them, the SVM classification algorithm demonstrated the best classification performance for SARS-CoV-2 VLPs and HIV-based VLPs groups with 87.5% and 92.5% accuracy, respectively. This study could be valuable for the rapid characterization of VLPs for the development of novel therapeutics or detection of structural proteins of viruses leading to a variety of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munevver Akdeniz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Nanothera Lab, Drug Application and Research Center (ERFARMA), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Zakarya Al-Shaebi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Nanothera Lab, Drug Application and Research Center (ERFARMA), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Mine Altunbek
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Canan Bayraktar
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Alisan Kayabolen
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tugba Bagci-Onder
- Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Omer Aydin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Nanothera Lab, Drug Application and Research Center (ERFARMA), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Clinical Engineering Research and Implementation Center (ERKAM), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (ERNAM), Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
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Yoon KW, Chu KB, Eom GD, Mao J, Kim MJ, Lee H, No JH, Quan FS. Protective Humoral Immune Response Induced by Recombinant Virus-like Particle Vaccine Expressing Leishmania donovani Surface Antigen. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2583-2592. [PMID: 38014824 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00411] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
To date, Leishmania spp. vaccine studies have mainly focused on cellular immunity induction, which plays a crucial role in host protection. In contrast, vaccine-induced humoral immunity is largely neglected. Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines generated using the baculovirus expression system are well-known inducers of humoral immunity and would serve as a suitable platform for evaluating humoral immunity-mediated protection against visceral Leishmaniasis. In this study, we investigated the humoral immunity evoked through VLPs expressing the L. donovani promastigote surface antigen (PSA-VLPs) and assessed their contribution to protection in mice. PSA-VLPs vaccines were generated using the baculovirus expression system and used for mouse immunizations. Mice were intramuscularly immunized twice with PSA-VLPs and challenged with L. donovani to confirm vaccine-induced protective immunity. PSA-VLP immunization elicited parasite-specific antibody responses in the sera of mice, which were induced in a dose-dependent manner. B cell, germinal center B cell, and memory B cell responses in the spleen were found to be higher in vaccinated mice compared to unimmunized controls. PSA-VLP immunization diminished the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-6 in the liver. Overall, the PSA-VLPs conferred protection against L. donovani challenge infection by reducing the total parasite burden within the internal organs. These results suggest that PSA-VLPs induced protective immunity against the L. donovani challenge infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keon-Woong Yoon
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Back Chu
- Medical Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species and Biomedical Science Institute, Core Research Institute (CRI), Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi-Deok Eom
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Jie Mao
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ju Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeryon Lee
- Host-Parasite Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Hwan No
- Host-Parasite Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Fu-Shi Quan
- Medical Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species and Biomedical Science Institute, Core Research Institute (CRI), Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
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Keelapang P, Ketloy C, Puttikhunt C, Sriburi R, Prompetchara E, Sae-Lim M, Siridechadilok B, Duangchinda T, Noisakran S, Charoensri N, Suriyaphol P, Suparattanagool P, Utaipat U, Masrinoul P, Avirutnan P, Mongkolsapaya J, Screaton G, Auewarakul P, Malaivijitnond S, Yoksan S, Malasit P, Ruxrungtham K, Pulmanausahakul R, Sittisombut N. Heterologous prime-boost immunization induces protection against dengue virus infection in cynomolgus macaques. J Virol 2023; 97:e0096323. [PMID: 37846984 PMCID: PMC10688363 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00963-23] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Currently licensed dengue vaccines do not induce long-term protection in children without previous exposure to dengue viruses in nature. These vaccines are based on selected attenuated strains of the four dengue serotypes and employed in combination for two or three consecutive doses. In our search for a better dengue vaccine candidate, live attenuated strains were followed by non-infectious virus-like particles or the plasmids that generate these particles upon injection into the body. This heterologous prime-boost immunization induced elevated levels of virus-specific antibodies and helped to prevent dengue virus infection in a high proportion of vaccinated macaques. In macaques that remained susceptible to dengue virus, distinct mechanisms were found to account for the immunization failures, providing a better understanding of vaccine actions. Additional studies in humans in the future may help to establish whether this combination approach represents a more effective means of preventing dengue by vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonsook Keelapang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Chutitorn Ketloy
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chunya Puttikhunt
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rungtawan Sriburi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Eakachai Prompetchara
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Malinee Sae-Lim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Bunpote Siridechadilok
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Frontier Biodesign and Bioengineering Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Thaneeya Duangchinda
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sansanee Noisakran
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nicha Charoensri
- Center for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Prapat Suriyaphol
- Siriraj Informatics and Data Innovation Center, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Utaiwan Utaipat
- Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Promsin Masrinoul
- Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Panisadee Avirutnan
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Juthathip Mongkolsapaya
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin Screaton
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Prasert Auewarakul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Sutee Yoksan
- Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Prida Malasit
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kiat Ruxrungtham
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Nopporn Sittisombut
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Aves KL, Guerra PR, Fresno AH, Saraiva MMS, Cox E, Bækbo PJ, Nielsen MA, Sander AF, Olsen JE. A Virus-like Particle-Based F4 Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Vaccine Is Inhibited by Maternally Derived Antibodies in Piglets but Generates Robust Responses in Sows. Pathogens 2023; 12:1388. [PMID: 38133272 PMCID: PMC10745950 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121388] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
F4-positive enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is associated with diarrhea and poor growth outcomes in neonatal and newly weaned piglets and is thus a major economic and welfare burden in the swine industry. Vaccination of sows with F4 fimbriae protects against the neonatal disease via passive transfer of maternal immunity. However, this strategy does not protect against infection post-weaning. Consequently, prevention and treatment methods in weaner pigs heavily rely on the use of antimicrobials. Therefore, in order to reduce antimicrobial consumption, more effective prophylactic alternatives are needed. In this study, we describe the development of a capsid virus-like particle (cVLP)-based vaccine targeting the major F4 fimbriae subunit and adhesion molecule, FaeG, and evaluate its immunogenicity in mice, piglets, and sows. cVLP-display significantly increased systemic and mucosal antibody responses towards the recombinant FaeG antigen in mice models. However, in piglets, the presence of anti-F4 maternally derived antibodies severely inhibited the induction of active humoral responses towards the FaeG antigen. This inhibition could not be overcome, even with the enhanced immunogenicity achieved via cVLP display. However, in sows, intramuscular vaccination with the FaeG.cVLP vaccine was able to generate robust IgG and IgA responses that were comparable with a commercial fimbriae-based vaccine, and which were effectively transferred to piglets via colostrum intake. These results demonstrate that cVLP display has the potential to improve the systemic humoral responses elicited against low-immunogenic antigens in pigs; however, this effect is dependent on the use of antigens, which are not the targets of pre-existing maternal immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara-Lee Aves
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Priscila R. Guerra
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ana H. Fresno
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Mauro M. S. Saraiva
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Eric Cox
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Poul J. Bækbo
- SEGES Innovation, Danish Pig Research Centre, Agro Food Park 15, DK-8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Morten A. Nielsen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Adam F. Sander
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- AdaptVac, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - John E. Olsen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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9
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Zhou F, Zhang D. Recent advance in the development of tuberculosis vaccines in clinical trials and virus-like particle-based vaccine candidates. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1238649. [PMID: 38022657 PMCID: PMC10652786 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1238649] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious public health threat around the world. An effective vaccine is urgently required for cost-effective, long-term control of TB. However, the only licensed vaccine Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is limited to prevent TB for its highly variable efficacy. Substantial progress has been made in research and development (R&D) of TB vaccines in the past decades, and a dozen vaccine candidates, including live attenuated mycobacterial vaccines, killed mycobacterial vaccines, adjuvanted subunit vaccines, viral vector vaccines, and messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines were developed in clinical trials to date. Nevertheless, many challenges to the successful authorization for the use and deployment of an effective tuberculosis vaccine remain. Therefore, it is still necessary and urgent to continue exploring new vaccine construction approaches. Virus-like particles (VLPs) present excellent prospects in the field of vaccine development because of their helpful immunological features such as being safe templates without containing viral nucleic acid, repetitive surface geometry, conformational epitopes similar to natural viruses, and enhancing both innate and adaptive immune responses. The marketization process of VLP vaccines has never stopped despite VLP vaccines face several shortcomings such as their complex and slow development process and high production cost, and several VLP-based vaccines, including vaccines against Human papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and malaria, are successfully licensed for use at the market. In this review, we provide an update on the current progress regarding the development of TB vaccines in clinical trials and seek to give an overview of VLP-based TB vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangbin Zhou
- Department of Tropical Diseases, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongmei Zhang
- Department of Tropical Diseases, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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10
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Pope H, Baird S, Baird S, Borger JG. Immunologist Margaret Baird, a trailblazer in science and empowerment. Immunol Cell Biol 2023; 101:906-910. [PMID: 37773593 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12694] [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] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Emeritus Professor Margaret Baird forged a luminary career for her pioneering research investigating the role of dendritic cells in cancer and infectious diseases, as an inspirational lecturer at the University of Otago and a role model to many. In this article celebrating the 100-year anniversary of ICB, we discuss Margaret's career and life journey through the eyes of her family and coauthors, as we explore her many publications in ICB and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jessica G Borger
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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11
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Liu X, Liu Y, Yang X, Lu X, Xu XN, Zhang J, Chen R. Potentiating the Immune Responses of HBsAg-VLP Vaccine Using a Polyphosphoester-Based Cationic Polymer Adjuvant. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:48871-48881. [PMID: 37816068 PMCID: PMC10614196 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c07491] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines are required to be associated with a suitable adjuvant to potentiate their immune responses. Herein, we report a novel, biodegradable, and biocompatible polyphosphoester-based amphiphilic cationic polymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(aminoethyl ethylene phosphate) (PEG-PAEEP), as a Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-VLP vaccine adjuvant. The polymer adjuvant effectively bound with HBsAg-VLP through electrostatic interactions to form a stable vaccine nanoformulation with a net positive surface charge. The nanoformulations exhibited enhanced cellular uptake by macrophages. HBsAg-VLP/PEG-PAEEP induced a significantly higher HBsAg-specific IgG titer in mice than HBsAg-VLP alone after second immunization, indicative of the antigen-dose sparing advantage of PEG-PAEEP. Furthermore, the nanoformulations exhibited a favorable biocompatibility and in vivo tolerability. This work presents the PEG-PAEEP copolymer as a promising vaccine adjuvant and as a potentially effective alternative to aluminum adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhan Liu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Department
of Emergency Medicine, Shenzhen University
General Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518051, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Xiaoyu Yang
- AIM
Honesty Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Dalian 116620, China
| | - Xinyu Lu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Xiao-Ning Xu
- Department
of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College
London, London W12 0NN, U.K.
| | - Jiancheng Zhang
- AIM
Honesty Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Dalian 116620, China
| | - Rongjun Chen
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
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12
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Roessler J, Pich D, Krähling V, Becker S, Keppler OT, Zeidler R, Hammerschmidt W. SARS-CoV-2 and Epstein-Barr Virus-like Particles Associate and Fuse with Extracellular Vesicles in Virus Neutralization Tests. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2892. [PMID: 38001893 PMCID: PMC10669694 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11112892] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The successful development of effective viral vaccines depends on well-known correlates of protection, high immunogenicity, acceptable safety criteria, low reactogenicity, and well-designed immune monitoring and serology. Virus-neutralizing antibodies are often a good correlate of protective immunity, and their serum concentration is a key parameter during the pre-clinical and clinical testing of vaccine candidates. Viruses are inherently infectious and potentially harmful, but we and others developed replication-defective SARS-CoV-2 virus-like-particles (VLPs) as surrogates for infection to quantitate neutralizing antibodies with appropriate target cells using a split enzyme-based approach. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-derived VLPs associate and fuse with extracellular vesicles in a highly specific manner, mediated by the respective viral fusion proteins and their corresponding host receptors. We highlight the capacity of virus-neutralizing antibodies to interfere with this interaction and demonstrate a potent application using this technology. To overcome the common limitations of most virus neutralization tests, we developed a quick in vitro diagnostic assay based on the fusion of SARS-CoV-2 VLPs with susceptible vesicles to quantitate neutralizing antibodies without the need for infectious viruses or living cells. We validated this method by testing a set of COVID-19 patient serum samples, correlated the results with those of a conventional test, and found good sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this serological assay can be adapted to a human herpesvirus, EBV, and possibly other enveloped viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Roessler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.R.); (R.Z.)
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 81377 Munich, Germany;
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany;
| | - Dagmar Pich
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 81377 Munich, Germany;
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany;
| | - Verena Krähling
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (V.K.); (S.B.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (V.K.); (S.B.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Oliver T. Keppler
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany;
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), LMU University Hospital, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Reinhard Zeidler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, 81377 Munich, Germany; (J.R.); (R.Z.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany;
- Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hammerschmidt
- Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 81377 Munich, Germany;
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany;
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13
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Zhou F, Zhang D. Nano-Sized Chimeric Human Papillomavirus-16 L1 Virus-like Particles Displaying Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigen Ag85B Enhance Ag85B-Specific Immune Responses in Female C57BL/c Mice. Viruses 2023; 15:2123. [PMID: 37896900 PMCID: PMC10612075 DOI: 10.3390/v15102123] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), the only current vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) that is licensed in clinics, successfully protects infants and young children against several TB types, such as TB meningitis and miliary TB, but it is ineffective in protecting adolescents and adults against pulmonary TB. Thus, it is a matter of the utmost urgency to develop an improved and efficient TB vaccine. In this milieu, virus-like particles (VLPs) exhibit excellent characteristics in the field of vaccine development due to their numerous characteristics, including but not limited to their good safety without the risk of infection, their ability to mimic the size and structure of original viruses, and their ability to display foreign antigens on their surface to enhance the immune response. In this study, the HPV16 L1 capsid protein (HPV16L1) acted as a structural vaccine scaffold, and the extracellular domain of Ag85B was selected as the M. tb immunogen and inserted into the FG loop of the HPV16 L1 protein to construct chimeric HPV16L1/Ag85B VLPs. The chimeric HPV16L1/Ag85B VLPs were produced via the Pichia pastoris expression system and purified via discontinuous Optiprep density gradient centrifugation. The humoral and T cell-mediated immune response induced by the chimeric HPV16L1/Ag85B VLP was studied in female C57BL/c mice. We demonstrated that the insertion of the extracellular domain of Ag85B into the FG loop of HPV16L1 did not affect the in vitro stability and self-assembly of the chimeric HPV16L1/Ag85B VLPs. Importantly, it did not interfere with the immunogenicity of Ag85B. We observed that the chimeric HPV16L1/Ag85B VLPs induced higher Ag85B-specific antibody responses and elicited significant Ag85B-specific T cell immune responses in female C57BL/c mice compared with recombinant Ag85B. Our findings provide new insights into the development of novel chimeric HPV16L1/TB VLP-based vaccine platforms for controlling TB infection, which are urgently required in low-income and developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangbin Zhou
- Department of Tropical Diseases, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dongmei Zhang
- Department of Tropical Diseases, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
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14
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Gama P, Juárez P, Rodríguez-Hernández AG, Vazquez-Duhalt R. Glucose oxidase virus-based nanoreactors for smart breast cancer therapy. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300199. [PMID: 37417791 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300199] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor disease and the leading cause of female mortality. The evolution of nanomaterials science opens the opportunity to improve traditional cancer therapies, enhancing therapy efficiency and reducing side effects. METHODS AND MAJOR RESULTS Herein, protein cages conceived as enzymatic nanoreactors were designed and produced by using virus-like nanoparticles (VLPs) from Brome mosaic virus (BMV) and containing the catalytic activity of glucose oxidase (GOx) enzyme. The GOx enzyme was encapsulated into the BMV capsid (VLP-GOx), and the resulting enzymatic nanoreactors were coated with human serum albumin (VLP-GOx@HSA) for breast tumor cell targeting. The effect of the synthesized GOx nanoreactors on breast tumor cell lines was studied in vitro. Both nanoreactor preparations VLP-GOx and VLP-GOx@HSA showed to be highly cytotoxic for breast tumor cell cultures. Cytotoxicity for human embryonic kidney cells was also found. The monitoring of nanoreactor treatment on triple-negative breast cancer cells showed an evident production of oxygen by the catalase antioxidant enzyme induced by the high production of hydrogen peroxide from GOx activity. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The nanoreactors containing GOx activity are entirely suitable for cytotoxicity generation in tumor cells. The HSA functionalization of the VLP-GOx nanoreactors, a strategy designed for selective cancer targeting, showed no improvement in the cytotoxic effect. The GOx containing enzymatic nanoreactors seems to be an interesting alternative to improve the current cancer therapy. In vivo studies are ongoing to reinforce the effectiveness of this treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Gama
- Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Patricia Juárez
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Ana G Rodríguez-Hernández
- Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Rafael Vazquez-Duhalt
- Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
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15
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Sepotokele KM, O'Kennedy MM, Hayes MC, Wandrag DBR, Smith P, Abolnik C. Efficacy of a plant-produced infectious bronchitis virus-like particle vaccine in specific pathogen-free chickens. Poult Sci 2023; 102:102953. [PMID: 37542940 PMCID: PMC10407904 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102953] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious bronchitis (IB) Gammacoronavirus causes a highly contagious respiratory disease in chickens that is listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Its high mutation ability has resulted in numerous variants against which the commercially available live or recombinant vaccines singly offer limited protection. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana (tobacco) plants was used here to produce a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine expressing a modified full-length IBV spike (S) protein of a QX-like IB variant. In a challenge study with the homologous live IB QX-like virus, VLP-vaccinated birds produced S protein-specific antibodies comparable to those produced by live-vaccinated birds seroconverting with mean geometric titers of 6.8 and 7.2 log2, respectively. The VLP-vaccinated birds had reduced oropharyngeal and cloacal viral shedding compared to an unvaccinated challenged control and were more protected against tracheal ciliostasis than the live-vaccinated birds. While the results appeared similar, plant-produced IB VLPs are safer, more affordable, easier to produce and update to antigenically match any emerging IB variant, making them a more suitable alternative to IBV control than live-attenuated vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamogelo M Sepotokele
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Martha M O'Kennedy
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Next Generation Health Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michaela C Hayes
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Daniel B R Wandrag
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Smith
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Celia Abolnik
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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16
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Wang Y, Douglas T. Tuning Multistep Biocatalysis through Enzyme and Cofactor Colocalization in Charged Porous Protein Macromolecular Frameworks. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:43621-43632. [PMID: 37695852 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10340] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Spatial organization of biocatalytic activities is crucial to organisms to efficiently process complex metabolism. Inspired by this mechanism, artificial scaffold structures are designed to harbor functionally coupled biocatalysts, resulting in acellular materials that can complete multistep reactions at high efficiency and low cost. Substrate channeling is an approach for efficiency enhancement of multistep reactions, but fast diffusion of small molecule intermediates poses a major challenge to achieve channeling in vitro. Here, we explore how multistep biocatalysis is affected, and can be modulated, by cofactor-enzyme colocalization within a synthetic bioinspired material. In this material, a heterogeneous protein macromolecular framework (PMF) acts as a porous host matrix for colocalization of two coupled enzymes and their small molecule cofactor, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). After formation of the PMF from a higher order assembly of P22 virus-like particles (VLPs), the enzymes were partitioned into the PMF by covalent attachment and presentation on the VLP exterior. Using a collective property of the PMF (i.e., high density of negative charges in the PMF), NAD molecules were partitioned into the framework via electrostatic interactions after being conjugated to a polycationic species. This effectively controlled the localization and diffusion of NAD, resulting in substrate channeling between the enzymes. Changing ionic strength modulates the PMF-NAD interactions, tuning two properties that impact the multistep efficiency oppositely in response to ionic strength: cofactor partitioning (colocalization with the enzymes) and cofactor mobility (translocation between the enzymes). Within the range tested, we observed a maximum of 5-fold increase or 75% decrease in multistep efficiency as compared to free enzymes in solution, which suggest both the colocalization and the mobility are critical for the multistep efficiency. This work demonstrates utility of collective behaviors, exhibited by hierarchical bioassemblies, in the construction of functional materials for enzyme cascades, which possess properties such as tunable multistep biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Trevor Douglas
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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17
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Tiroille V, Krug A, Bokobza E, Kahi M, Bulcaen M, Ensinck MM, Geurts MH, Hendriks D, Vermeulen F, Larbret F, Gutierrez-Guerrero A, Chen Y, Van Zundert I, Rocha S, Rios AC, Medaer L, Gijsbers R, Mangeot PE, Clevers H, Carlon MS, Bost F, Verhoeyen E. Nanoblades allow high-level genome editing in murine and human organoids. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2023; 33:57-74. [PMID: 37435135 PMCID: PMC10331042 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.06.004] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Genome engineering has become more accessible thanks to the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system. However, using this technology in synthetic organs called "organoids" is still very inefficient. This is due to the delivery methods for the CRISPR-Cas9 machinery, which include electroporation of CRISPR-Cas9 DNA, mRNA, or ribonucleoproteins containing the Cas9-gRNA complex. However, these procedures are quite toxic for the organoids. Here, we describe the use of the "nanoblade (NB)" technology, which outperformed by far gene-editing levels achieved to date for murine- and human tissue-derived organoids. We reached up to 75% of reporter gene knockout in organoids after treatment with NBs. Indeed, high-level NB-mediated knockout for the androgen receptor encoding gene and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene was achieved with single gRNA or dual gRNA containing NBs in murine prostate and colon organoids. Likewise, NBs achieved 20%-50% gene editing in human organoids. Most importantly, in contrast to other gene-editing methods, this was obtained without toxicity for the organoids. Only 4 weeks are required to obtain stable gene knockout in organoids and NBs simplify and allow rapid genome editing in organoids with little to no side effects including unwanted insertion/deletions in off-target sites thanks to transient Cas9/RNP expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Tiroille
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France
- Equipe labélisée Ligue National Contre le Cancer, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adrien Krug
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France
| | - Emma Bokobza
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France
- Equipe labélisée Ligue National Contre le Cancer, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michel Kahi
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France
- Equipe labélisée Ligue National Contre le Cancer, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mattijs Bulcaen
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marjolein M. Ensinck
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten H. Geurts
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Delilah Hendriks
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Alejandra Gutierrez-Guerrero
- CIRI – International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - Yu Chen
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Indra Van Zundert
- Synthetic Biology Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Susana Rocha
- Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Anne C. Rios
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Louise Medaer
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Gijsbers
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philippe E. Mangeot
- CIRI – International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marianne S. Carlon
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Bost
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France
- Equipe labélisée Ligue National Contre le Cancer, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Els Verhoeyen
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France
- CIRI – International Center for Infectiology Research, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
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18
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Chu KB, Quan FS. Recent progress in vaccine development targeting pre-clinical human toxoplasmosis. Parasites Hosts Dis 2023; 61:231-239. [PMID: 37648228 PMCID: PMC10471472 DOI: 10.3347/phd.22097] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasitic organism affecting all warm-blooded vertebrates. Due to the unavailability of commercialized human T. gondii vaccine, many studies have been reported investigating the protective efficacy of pre-clinical T. gondii vaccines expressing diverse antigens. Careful antigen selection and implementing multifarious immunization strategies could enhance protection against toxoplasmosis in animal models. Although none of the available vaccines could remove the tissue-dwelling parasites from the host organism, findings from these pre-clinical toxoplasmosis vaccine studies highlighted their developmental potential and provided insights into rational vaccine design. We herein explored the progress of T. gondii vaccine development using DNA, protein subunit, and virus-like particle vaccine platforms. Specifically, we summarized the findings from the pre-clinical toxoplasmosis vaccine studies involving T. gondii challenge infection in mice published in the past 5 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Back Chu
- Medical Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species and Biomedical Science Institute, Core Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447,
Korea
| | - Fu-Shi Quan
- Medical Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species and Biomedical Science Institute, Core Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447,
Korea
- Department of Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447,
Korea
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19
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Beckwith SL, Nomberg EJ, Newman AC, Taylor JV, Guerrero-Ferreira RC, Garfinkel DJ. An interchangeable prion-like domain is required for Ty1 retrotransposition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303358120. [PMID: 37459521 PMCID: PMC10372613 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303358120] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons and retroviruses shape genome evolution and can negatively impact genome function. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its close relatives harbor several families of LTR-retrotransposons, the most abundant being Ty1 in several laboratory strains. The cytosolic foci that nucleate Ty1 virus-like particle (VLP) assembly are not well understood. These foci, termed retrosomes or T-bodies, contain Ty1 Gag and likely Gag-Pol and the Ty1 mRNA destined for reverse transcription. Here, we report an intrinsically disordered N-terminal prion-like domain (PrLD) within Gag that is required for transposition. This domain contains amino acid composition similar to known yeast prions and is sufficient to nucleate prionogenesis in an established cell-based prion reporter system. Deleting the Ty1 PrLD results in dramatic VLP assembly and retrotransposition defects but does not affect Gag protein level. Ty1 Gag chimeras in which the PrLD is replaced with other sequences, including yeast and mammalian prionogenic domains, display a range of retrotransposition phenotypes from wild type to null. We examine these chimeras throughout the Ty1 replication cycle and find that some support retrosome formation, VLP assembly, and retrotransposition, including the yeast Sup35 prion and the mouse PrP prion. Our interchangeable Ty1 system provides a useful, genetically tractable in vivo platform for studying PrLDs, complete with a suite of robust and sensitive assays. Our work also invites study into the prevalence of PrLDs in additional mobile elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean L. Beckwith
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602
| | - Emily J. Nomberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602
| | - Abigail C. Newman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602
| | - Jeannette V. Taylor
- Robert P. Apkarian Integrated Electron Microscopy Core at Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
| | | | - David J. Garfinkel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602
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20
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Oestereich L, Müller-Kräuter H, Pallasch E, Strecker T. Passive Transfer of Animal-Derived Polyclonal Hyperimmune Antibodies Provides Protection of Mice from Lethal Lassa Virus Infection. Viruses 2023; 15:1436. [PMID: 37515124 PMCID: PMC10384048 DOI: 10.3390/v15071436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lassa virus (LASV) can cause severe acute systemic infection in humans. No approved antiviral drugs or vaccines are currently available. Antibody-based therapeutics are considered a promising treatment strategy in the management of LASV disease. METHODS We used chimeric Ifnar-/- C57BL/6 (Ifnar-/- Bl6) mice, a lethal LASV mouse model, to evaluate the protective efficacy of polyclonal antibodies purified from sera of rabbits hyperimmunized with virus-like particles displaying native-like LASV glycoprotein GP spikes. RESULTS Polyclonal anti-LASV GP antibodies provided 100% protection against lethal LASV infection in a pre- and post-exposure treatment setting and prevented LASV disease. Treatment also significantly lowered viremia level and virus load in organs. When treatment was initiated at the onset of symptoms, the hyperimmune antibodies provided partial protection and increased the survival rate by 80%. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the consideration of animal-derived hyperimmune antibodies targeting GP as an effective treatment option for highly pathogenic LASV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Oestereich
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- German Center for Infectious Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Elisa Pallasch
- Department of Virology, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- German Center for Infectious Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Strecker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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21
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Waerlop G, Janssens Y, Jacobs B, Jarczowski F, Diessner A, Leroux-Roels G, Klimyuk V, Leroux-Roels I, Thieme F. Immune responses in healthy adults elicited by a bivalent norovirus vaccine candidate composed of GI.4 and GII.4 VLPs without adjuvant. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1188431. [PMID: 37435073 PMCID: PMC10331465 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188431] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of an efficacious vaccine against norovirus is of paramount importance given its potential to reduce the global burden of norovirus-associated morbidity and mortality. Here, we report a detailed immunological analysis of a phase I, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial performed on 60 healthy adults, ages 18 to 40. Total serum immunoglobulin and serum IgA against vaccine strains and cross-reactive serum IgG against non-vaccine strains were measured by enzyme immunoassays, whereas cell-mediated immune responses were quantified using intracellular cytokine staining by flow cytometry. A significant increase in humoral and cellular responses, e.g., IgA and CD4+ polypositive T cells, was triggered by the GI.4 Chiba 407 (1987) and GII.4 Aomori 2 (2006) VLP-based norovirus vaccine candidate rNV-2v, which is formulated without adjuvant. No booster effect was observed after the second administration in the pre-exposed adult study population. Furthermore, a cross-reactive immune response was elicited, as shown by IgG titers against GI.3 (2002), GII.2 OC08154 (2008), GII.4 (1999), GII.4 Sydney (2012), GII.4 Washington (2018), GII.6 Maryland (2018), and GII.17 Kawasaki 308 (2015). Due to viral infection via mucosal gut tissue and the high variety of potentially relevant norovirus strains, a focus should be on IgA and cross-protective humoral and cell-mediated responses in the development of a broadly protective, multi-valent norovirus vaccine. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT05508178. EudraCT number: 2019-003226-25.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenn Waerlop
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yorick Janssens
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart Jacobs
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Geert Leroux-Roels
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Isabel Leroux-Roels
- Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC), Ghent University and University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Thieme
- Icon Genetics GmbH, a Denka Company, Halle, Germany
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22
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Lampinen V, Gröhn S, Soppela S, Blazevic V, Hytönen VP, Hankaniemi MM. SpyTag/SpyCatcher display of influenza M2e peptide on noro virus-like particle provides stronger immunization than direct genetic fusion. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1216364. [PMID: 37424789 PMCID: PMC10323135 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1216364] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Virus-like particles (VLPs) are similar in size and shape to their respective viruses, but free of viral genetic material. This makes VLP-based vaccines incapable of causing infection, but still effective in mounting immune responses. Noro-VLPs consist of 180 copies of the VP1 capsid protein. The particle tolerates C-terminal fusion partners, and VP1 fused with a C-terminal SpyTag self-assembles into a VLP with SpyTag protruding from its surface, enabling conjugation of antigens via SpyCatcher. Methods To compare SpyCatcher-mediated coupling and direct peptide fusion in experimental vaccination, we genetically fused the ectodomain of influenza matrix-2 protein (M2e) directly on the C-terminus of norovirus VP1 capsid protein. VLPs decorated with SpyCatcher-M2e and VLPs with direct M2 efusion were used to immunize mice. Results and discussion We found that direct genetic fusion of M2e on noro-VLP raised few M2e antibodies in the mouse model, presumably because the short linker positions the peptide between the protruding domains of noro-VLP, limiting its accessibility. On the other hand, adding aluminum hydroxide adjuvant to the previously described SpyCatcher-M2e-decorated noro-VLP vaccine gave a strong response against M2e. Surprisingly, simple SpyCatcher-fused M2e without VLP display also functioned as a potent immunogen, which suggests that the commonly used protein linker SpyCatcher-SpyTag may serve a second role as an activator of the immune system in vaccine preparations. Based on the measured anti-M2e antibodies and cellular responses, both SpyCatcher-M2e as well as M2e presented on the noro-VLP via SpyTag/Catcher show potential for the development of universal influenza vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vili Lampinen
- Protein Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Virology and Vaccine Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Stina Gröhn
- Virology and Vaccine Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Saana Soppela
- Virology and Vaccine Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Vesna Blazevic
- Vaccine Development and Immunology/Vaccine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Vesa P. Hytönen
- Protein Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland
| | - Minna M. Hankaniemi
- Virology and Vaccine Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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23
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Blanco JCG, Cullen LM, Kamali A, Sylla FYD, Boukhvalova MS, Morrison TG. Development of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Candidates for the Elderly. Viruses 2023; 15:1305. [PMID: 37376605 PMCID: PMC10304043 DOI: 10.3390/v15061305] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant threat to elderly populations and repeated infections that occur throughout life are poorly protective. To assess the role of prior RSV infections as well as elderly immune senescence on vaccine efficacy, we compared immune responses after virus-like particle (VLP) immunization of elderly cotton rats and young cotton rats, both previously RSV infected, in order to mimic the human population. We show that immunization of RSV-experienced young or elderly animals resulted in the same levels of anti-pre-F IgG, anti-G IgG, neutralizing antibody titers, and protection from challenge indicating that the delivery of F and G proteins in a VLP is equally effective in activation of protective responses in both elderly and young populations. Our results suggest that F and G protein-containing VLPs induce anti-RSV memory established in prior RSV infections equally well in both young and elderly animals and thus can be an effective vaccine for the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lori M. Cullen
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Arash Kamali
- Sigmovir Biosystems Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | | | | | - Trudy G. Morrison
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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24
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Ortiz R, Barajas A, Pons-Grífols A, Trinité B, Tarrés-Freixas F, Rovirosa C, Urrea V, Barreiro A, Gonzalez-Tendero A, Cardona M, Ferrer L, Clotet B, Carrillo J, Aguilar-Gurrieri C, Blanco J. Exploring FeLV-Gag-Based VLPs as a New Vaccine Platform-Analysis of Production and Immunogenicity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109025. [PMID: 37240371 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in domestic cats. Although different commercial vaccines are available, none of them provides full protection. Thus, efforts to design a more efficient vaccine are needed. Our group has successfully engineered HIV-1 Gag-based VLPs that induce a potent and functional immune response against the HIV-1 transmembrane protein gp41. Here, we propose to use this concept to generate FeLV-Gag-based VLPs as a novel vaccine strategy against this retrovirus. By analogy to our HIV-1 platform, a fragment of the FeLV transmembrane p15E protein was exposed on FeLV-Gag-based VLPs. After optimization of Gag sequences, the immunogenicity of the selected candidates was evaluated in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, showing strong cellular and humoral responses to Gag but failing to generate anti-p15E antibodies. Altogether, this study not only tests the versatility of the enveloped VLP-based vaccine platform but also sheds light on FeLV vaccine research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Ortiz
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Doctorate School, Microbiology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Ana Barajas
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Doctorate School, Medicine Department, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Spain
| | - Anna Pons-Grífols
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Doctorate School, Microbiology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Benjamin Trinité
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | | | - Carla Rovirosa
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Victor Urrea
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Bonaventura Clotet
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Doctorate School, Medicine Department, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Department, Germans Trias I Pujol Hospital, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Jorge Carrillo
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Julià Blanco
- AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Doctorate School, Microbiology Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Doctorate School, Medicine Department, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Germans Trias I Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
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25
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Chen CW, Saubi N, Joseph-Munné J. Chimeric Human Papillomavirus-16 Virus-like Particles Presenting HIV-1 P18I10 Peptide: Expression, Purification, Bio-Physical Properties and Immunogenicity in BALB/c Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098060. [PMID: 37175776 PMCID: PMC10179162 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098060] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines based on HPV L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) are already licensed but not accessible worldwide. About 38.0 million people were living with HIV in 2020 and there is no HIV vaccine yet. Therefore, safe, effective, and affordable vaccines against both viruses are an urgent need. In this study, the HIV-1 P18I10 CTL peptide from the V3 loop of HIV-1 gp120 glycoprotein was inserted into the HPV16 L1 protein to construct chimeric HPV:HIV (L1:P18I10) VLPs. Instead of the traditional baculovirus expression vector/insect cell (BEVS/IC) system, we established an alternative mammalian 293F cell-based expression system using cost-effective polyethylenimine-mediated transfection for L1:P18I10 protein production. Compared with conventional ultracentrifugation, we optimized a novel chromatographic purification method which could significantly increase L1:P18I10 VLP recovery (~56%). Chimeric L1:P18I10 VLPs purified from both methods were capable of self-assembling to integral particles and shared similar biophysical and morphological properties. After BALB/c mice immunization with 293F cell-derived and chromatography-purified L1:P18I10 VLPs, almost the same titer of anti-L1 IgG (p = 0.6409) was observed as Gardasil anti-HPV vaccine-immunized mice. Significant titers of anti-P18I10 binding antibodies (p < 0.01%) and P18I10-specific IFN-γ secreting splenocytes (p = 0.0002) were detected in L1:P18I10 VLP-immunized mice in comparison with licensed Gardasil-9 HPV vaccine. Furthermore, we demonstrated that insertion of HIV-1 P18I10 peptide into HPV16 L1 capsid protein did not affect the induction in anti-L1 antibodies. All in all, we expected that the mammalian cell expression system and chromatographic purification methods could be time-saving, cost-effective, scalable platforms to engineer bivalent VLP-based vaccines against HPV and HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Narcís Saubi
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Respiratory Viruses Unit, Virology Section, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Joseph-Munné
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
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26
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Rando HM, Lordan R, Lee AJ, Naik A, Wellhausen N, Sell E, Kolla L, Gitter A, Greene CS. Application of Traditional Vaccine Development Strategies to SARS-CoV-2. mSystems 2023; 8:e0092722. [PMID: 36861991 PMCID: PMC10134813 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00927-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past 150 years, vaccines have revolutionized the relationship between people and disease. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies such as mRNA vaccines have received attention due to their novelty and successes. However, more traditional vaccine development platforms have also yielded important tools in the worldwide fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A variety of approaches have been used to develop COVID-19 vaccines that are now authorized for use in countries around the world. In this review, we highlight strategies that focus on the viral capsid and outwards, rather than on the nucleic acids inside. These approaches fall into two broad categories: whole-virus vaccines and subunit vaccines. Whole-virus vaccines use the virus itself, in either an inactivated or an attenuated state. Subunit vaccines contain instead an isolated, immunogenic component of the virus. Here, we highlight vaccine candidates that apply these approaches against SARS-CoV-2 in different ways. In a companion article (H. M. Rando, R. Lordan, L. Kolla, E. Sell, et al., mSystems 8:e00928-22, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00928-22), we review the more recent and novel development of nucleic acid-based vaccine technologies. We further consider the role that these COVID-19 vaccine development programs have played in prophylaxis at the global scale. Well-established vaccine technologies have proved especially important to making vaccines accessible in low- and middle-income countries. Vaccine development programs that use established platforms have been undertaken in a much wider range of countries than those using nucleic acid-based technologies, which have been led by wealthy Western countries. Therefore, these vaccine platforms, though less novel from a biotechnological standpoint, have proven to be extremely important to the management of SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE The development, production, and distribution of vaccines is imperative to saving lives, preventing illness, and reducing the economic and social burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines that use cutting-edge biotechnology have played an important role in mitigating the effects of SARS-CoV-2. However, more traditional methods of vaccine development that were refined throughout the 20th century have been especially critical to increasing vaccine access worldwide. Effective deployment is necessary to reducing the susceptibility of the world's population, which is especially important in light of emerging variants. In this review, we discuss the safety, immunogenicity, and distribution of vaccines developed using established technologies. In a separate review, we describe the vaccines developed using nucleic acid-based vaccine platforms. From the current literature, it is clear that the well-established vaccine technologies are also highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 and are being used to address the challenges of COVID-19 globally, including in low- and middle-income countries. This worldwide approach is critical for reducing the devastating impact of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halie M. Rando
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Health AI, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Ronan Lordan
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexandra J. Lee
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amruta Naik
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nils Wellhausen
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elizabeth Sell
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Likhitha Kolla
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - COVID-19 Review Consortium
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Health AI, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Childhood Cancer Data Lab, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anthony Gitter
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Casey S. Greene
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Health AI, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Childhood Cancer Data Lab, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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27
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Fuertes MA, López Mateos D, Valiente L, Rodríguez Huete A, Valbuena A, Mateu MG. Electrostatic Screening, Acidic pH and Macromolecular Crowding Increase the Self-Assembly Efficiency of the Minute Virus of Mice Capsid In Vitro. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051054. [PMID: 37243141 DOI: 10.3390/v15051054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The hollow protein capsids from a number of different viruses are being considered for multiple biomedical or nanotechnological applications. In order to improve the applied potential of a given viral capsid as a nanocarrier or nanocontainer, specific conditions must be found for achieving its faithful and efficient assembly in vitro. The small size, adequate physical properties and specialized biological functions of the capsids of parvoviruses such as the minute virus of mice (MVM) make them excellent choices as nanocarriers and nanocontainers. In this study we analyzed the effects of protein concentration, macromolecular crowding, temperature, pH, ionic strength, or a combination of some of those variables on the fidelity and efficiency of self-assembly of the MVM capsid in vitro. The results revealed that the in vitro reassembly of the MVM capsid is an efficient and faithful process. Under some conditions, up to ~40% of the starting virus capsids were reassembled in vitro as free, non aggregated, correctly assembled particles. These results open up the possibility of encapsidating different compounds in VP2-only capsids of MVM during its reassembly in vitro, and encourage the use of virus-like particles of MVM as nanocontainers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Angel Fuertes
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego López Mateos
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Valiente
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia Rodríguez Huete
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Valbuena
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mauricio G Mateu
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Liu M, Zhao Y, Shi Z, Zink JI, Yu Q. Virus-like Magnetic Mesoporous Silica Particles as a Universal Vaccination Platform against Pathogenic Infections. ACS Nano 2023; 17:6899-6911. [PMID: 36961475 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c00644] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination is the most important way of population protection from life-threatening pathogenic infections. However, its efficiency is frequently compromised by a failure of strong antigen presentation and immune activation. Herein, we developed virus-like magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a universal vaccination platform (termed MagParV) for preventing pathogenic infections. This platform was constructed by integrating synthetic biology-based endoplasmic reticulum-targeting vesicles with magnetic mesoporous silica particles. This platform exhibited high antigen-loading capacity, strongly targeting the endoplasmic reticulum and promoting antigen presentation in dendritic cells. After prime-boost vaccination, the antigen-loading MagParV with AMF drastically elicited specific antibody production against corresponding antigens of fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. A systemic infection model further revealed that the platform effectively protected the mice from severe fungal systemic infections. This study realized synthetic biology-facilitated green manufacturing of vaccines, which is promising for magnetism-activated vaccination against different kinds of pathogenic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhishang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Jeffrey I Zink
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California Nano Systems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Qilin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
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Abbo SR, Nguyen W, Abma-Henkens MHC, van de Kamer D, Savelkoul NHA, Geertsema C, Le TTT, Tang B, Yan K, Dumenil T, van Oers MM, Suhrbier A, Pijlman GP. Comparative Efficacy of Mayaro Virus-Like Particle Vaccines Produced in Insect or Mammalian Cells. J Virol 2023; 97:e0160122. [PMID: 36883812 PMCID: PMC10062127 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01601-22] [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: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mayaro virus (MAYV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that causes often debilitating rheumatic disease in tropical Central and South America. There are currently no licensed vaccines or antiviral drugs available for MAYV disease. Here, we generated Mayaro virus-like particles (VLPs) using the scalable baculovirus-insect cell expression system. High-level secretion of MAYV VLPs in the culture fluid of Sf9 insect cells was achieved, and particles with a diameter of 64 to 70 nm were obtained after purification. We characterize a C57BL/6J adult wild-type mouse model of MAYV infection and disease and used this model to compare the immunogenicity of VLPs from insect cells with that of VLPs produced in mammalian cells. Mice received two intramuscular immunizations with 1 μg of nonadjuvanted MAYV VLPs. Potent neutralizing antibody responses were generated against the vaccine strain, BeH407, with comparable activity seen against a contemporary 2018 isolate from Brazil (BR-18), whereas neutralizing activity against chikungunya virus was marginal. Sequencing of BR-18 illustrated that this virus segregates with genotype D isolates, whereas MAYV BeH407 belongs to genotype L. The mammalian cell-derived VLPs induced higher mean neutralizing antibody titers than those produced in insect cells. Both VLP vaccines completely protected adult wild-type mice against viremia, myositis, tendonitis, and joint inflammation after MAYV challenge. IMPORTANCE Mayaro virus (MAYV) is associated with acute rheumatic disease that can be debilitating and can evolve into months of chronic arthralgia. MAYV is believed to have the potential to emerge as a tropical public health threat, especially if it develops the ability to be efficiently transmitted by urban mosquito vectors, such as Aedes aegypti and/or Aedes albopictus. Here, we describe a scalable virus-like particle vaccine against MAYV that induced neutralizing antibodies against a historical and a contemporary isolate of MAYV and protected mice against infection and disease, providing a potential new intervention for MAYV epidemic preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra R. Abbo
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wilson Nguyen
- Inflammation Biology Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Denise van de Kamer
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Niek H. A. Savelkoul
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Corinne Geertsema
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Thuy T. T. Le
- Inflammation Biology Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bing Tang
- Inflammation Biology Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kexin Yan
- Inflammation Biology Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Troy Dumenil
- Inflammation Biology Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Monique M. van Oers
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Andreas Suhrbier
- Inflammation Biology Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- GVN Center of Excellence, Australian Infectious Disease Research Center, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gorben P. Pijlman
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Nguyen HT, Wang Q, Anang S, Sodroski JG. Characterization of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) Envelope Glycoprotein Conformational States on Infectious Virus Particles. J Virol 2023; 97:e0185722. [PMID: 36815832 PMCID: PMC10062176 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01857-22] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) entry into cells involves triggering of the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer ([gp120/gp41]3) by the primary receptor, CD4, and coreceptors, CCR5 or CXCR4. The pretriggered (State-1) conformation of the mature (cleaved) Env is targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which are inefficiently elicited compared with poorly neutralizing antibodies (pNAbs). Here, we characterize variants of the moderately triggerable HIV-1AD8 Env on virions produced by an infectious molecular proviral clone; such virions contain more cleaved Env than pseudotyped viruses. We identified three types of cleaved wild-type AD8 Env trimers on virions: (i) State-1-like trimers preferentially recognized by bNAbs and exhibiting strong subunit association; (ii) trimers recognized by pNAbs directed against the gp120 coreceptor-binding region and exhibiting weak, detergent-sensitive subunit association; and (iii) a minor gp41-only population. The first Env population was enriched and the other Env populations reduced by introducing State-1-stabilizing changes in the AD8 Env or by treatment of the virions with crosslinker or the State-1-preferring entry inhibitor, BMS-806. These stabilized AD8 Envs were also more resistant to gp120 shedding induced by a CD4-mimetic compound or by incubation on ice. Conversely, a State-1-destabilized, CD4-independent AD8 Env variant exhibited weaker bNAb recognition and stronger pNAb recognition. Similar relationships between Env triggerability and antigenicity/shedding propensity on virions were observed for other HIV-1 strains. State-1 Envs on virions can be significantly enriched by minimizing the adventitious incorporation of uncleaved Env; stabilizing the pretriggered conformation by Env modification, crosslinking or BMS-806 treatment; strengthening Env subunit interactions; and using CD4-negative producer cells. IMPORTANCE Efforts to develop an effective HIV-1 vaccine have been frustrated by the inability to elicit broad neutralizing antibodies that recognize multiple virus strains. Such antibodies can bind a particular shape of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer, as it exists on a viral membrane but before engaging receptors on the host cell. Here, we establish simple yet powerful assays to characterize the envelope glycoproteins in a natural context on virus particles. We find that, depending on the HIV-1 strain, some envelope glycoproteins change shape and fall apart, creating decoys that can potentially divert the host immune response. We identify requirements to keep the relevant envelope glycoprotein target for broad neutralizing antibodies intact on virus-like particles. These studies suggest strategies that should facilitate efforts to produce and use virus-like particles as vaccine immunogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanh T. Nguyen
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Saumya Anang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph G. Sodroski
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Li Y, Sun R, Li S, Tan Z, Li Z, Liu Y, Guo Y, Huang J. ASFV proteins presented at the surface of T7 phages induce strong antibody responses in mice. J Virol Methods 2023; 316:114725. [PMID: 36965632 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2023.114725] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection causes substantial economic losses to the swine industry worldwide, and there are still no safe and effective vaccines or therapeutics available. The granulated virus antigen improves the antigen present process and elicits high antibody reaction than the subunit antigen. In this study, the SpyTag peptide-p10 fusion protein was altered and displayed on the surface of the T7 phage to construct an engineered phage (T7-ST). At the same time, ASFV antigen-Spycatcher C-terminal-fused protein (antigen-SC) was expressed and purified by an E. coli prokaryotic expression system. Five virus-like particles (VLPs) displaying the main ASFV antigenic proteins P30, P54, P72, CD2v, and K145R were reconstructed by the isopeptide bond between SpyTag and antigen-SC proteins. The stability of five ASFV VLPs in high temperature and extreme pH conditions was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and plaque analysis. All ASFV VLPs induced a high titer antigen-specific antibody response in mice. Our results showed that the granulated antigen displaying ASFV protein on the surface of the T7 phage provides a robust potential vaccine and diagnostic tool to address the challenge of the ASFV pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfang Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 300072
| | - Ruiqi Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 300072
| | - Shujun Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 300072
| | - Zheng Tan
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 300072
| | - Zexing Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 300072
| | - Yebin Liu
- China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, Beijing, China, 100081
| | - Yanyu Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 300072.
| | - Jinhai Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, 300072.
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Bandyopadhyay S, Pavlika V, Bracewell DG, Nesbeth DN. A Biological OR(XNOR) Logic Gate Couples Carbon Source and Transgene Expression Switching in a Komagataella phaffii ( Pichia pastoris) Strain Co-producing Process-Enhancing Lipase and a Virus-like Particle (VLP) Vaccine. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:657-663. [PMID: 36848292 PMCID: PMC10028693 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00342] [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] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
We constructed a three-input biological logic gate: S OR (G XNOR M), where S is sorbitol, G is glycerol, and M is methanol, to optimize co-expression of two transgenes in Komagataella phaffii using batch-mode carbon source switching (CSS). K. phaffii was engineered to harbor transgenes encoding a Candida rugosa triacylglycerol lipase, which can enhance downstream processing by removing host cell lipids from homogenates, and the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), a protein that self-assembles into a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine. Using the native alcohol oxidase 1 (PAOX1) and enolase 1 (PENO1) promoters to direct VLP vaccine and lipase expression, respectively, successfully provided an OR(XNOR) gate function with double-repression as the output. This logic gate functionality enabled use of CSS to ensure that approximately 80% of total VLP yield was accumulated before cells were burdened with lipase expression in 250 mL DasGip bioreactor cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushobhan Bandyopadhyay
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Vasos Pavlika
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel G Bracewell
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Darren N Nesbeth
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Ishida K, Noguchi T, Kimura S, Suzuki H, Ebina H, Morita E. Tracking of Human Parvovirus B19 Virus-Like Particles Using Short Peptide Tags Reveals a Membrane-Associated Extracellular Release of These Particles. J Virol 2023; 97:e0163122. [PMID: 36749078 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01631-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
B19 virus (B19V) is a pathogenic human parvovirus that infects erythroid progenitor cells. Because there are limited in vitro culture systems to propagate this virus, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which it propagates in cells. In this study, we introduced a HiBiT peptide tag into various loops of VP2 located on the surface of B19V particles and evaluated their ability to form virus-like particles (VLPs). Three independent sites were identified as permissive sites for peptide tag insertion without affecting VLP formation. When the HiBiT tag was introduced into B19V clones (pB19-M20) and transfected into a semipermissive erythroleukemia cell line (UT7/Epo-S1), HiBiT-dependent luciferase activities (HiBiT activities) increased depending on helicase activity of viral NS1. Furthermore, we used a GFP11 tag-split system to visualize VLPs in the GFP1-10-expressing live cells. Time-lapse imaging of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled VLPs revealed that nuclear VLPs were translocated into the cytoplasm only after cell division, suggesting that the breakdown of the nuclear envelope during mitosis contributes to VLP nuclear export. Moreover, HiBiT activities of culture supernatants were dependent on the presence of a detergent, and the released VLPs were associated with extracellular vesicles, as observed under electron microscopy. Treatment with an antimitotic agent (nocodazole) enhanced the release of VLPs. These results suggest that the virions accumulated in the cytoplasm are constitutively released from the cell as membrane-coated vesicles. These properties are likely responsible for viral escape from host immune responses and enhance membrane fusion-mediated transmission. IMPORTANCE Parvovirus particles are expected to be applied as nanoparticles in drug delivery systems. However, little is known about how nuclear-assembled B19 virus (B19V) virions are released from host cells. This study provides evidence of mitosis-dependent nuclear export of B19V and extracellular vesicle-mediated virion release. Moreover, this study provides methods for modifying particle surfaces with various exogenous factors and contributes to the development of fine nanoparticles with novel valuable functions. The pB19-M20 plasmid expressing HiBiT-tagged VP2 is a novel tool to easily quantify VP2 expression. Furthermore, this system can be applied in high-throughput screening of reagents that affect VP2 expression, which might be associated with viral propagation.
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Beckwith SL, Nomberg EJ, Newman AC, Taylor JV, Guerrero RC, Garfinkel DJ. An interchangeable prion-like domain is required for Ty1 retrotransposition. bioRxiv 2023:2023.02.27.530227. [PMID: 36909481 PMCID: PMC10002725 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.27.530227] [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: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Retrotransposons and retroviruses shape genome evolution and can negatively impact genome function. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its close relatives harbor several families of LTR-retrotransposons, the most abundant being Ty1 in several laboratory strains. The cytosolic foci that nucleate Ty1 virus-like particle (VLP) assembly are not well-understood. These foci, termed retrosomes or T-bodies, contain Ty1 Gag and likely Gag-Pol and the Ty1 mRNA destined for reverse transcription. Here, we report a novel intrinsically disordered N-terminal pr ion-like d omain (PrLD) within Gag that is required for transposition. This domain contains amino-acid composition similar to known yeast prions and is sufficient to nucleate prionogenesis in an established cell-based prion reporter system. Deleting the Ty1 PrLD results in dramatic VLP assembly and retrotransposition defects but does not affect Gag protein level. Ty1 Gag chimeras in which the PrLD is replaced with other sequences, including yeast and mammalian prionogenic domains, display a range of retrotransposition phenotypes from wildtype to null. We examine these chimeras throughout the Ty1 replication cycle and find that some support retrosome formation, VLP assembly, and retrotransposition, including the yeast Sup35 prion and the mouse PrP prion. Our interchangeable Ty1 system provides a useful, genetically tractable in vivo platform for studying PrLDs, complete with a suite of robust and sensitive assays, and host modulators developed to study Ty1 retromobility. Our work invites study into the prevalence of PrLDs in additional mobile elements. Significance Retrovirus-like retrotransposons help shape the genome evolution of their hosts and replicate within cytoplasmic particles. How their building blocks associate and assemble within the cell is poorly understood. Here, we report a novel pr ion-like d omain (PrLD) in the budding yeast retrotransposon Ty1 Gag protein that builds virus-like particles. The PrLD has similar sequence properties to prions and disordered protein domains that can drive the formation of assemblies that range from liquid to solid. We demonstrate that the Ty1 PrLD can function as a prion and that certain prion sequences can replace the PrLD and support Ty1 transposition. This interchangeable system is an effective platform to study additional disordered sequences in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean L. Beckwith
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Emily J. Nomberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Abigail C. Newman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jeannette V. Taylor
- Robert P. Apkarian Integrated Electron Microscopy Core at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ricardo C. Guerrero
- Robert P. Apkarian Integrated Electron Microscopy Core at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - David J. Garfinkel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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Sherry L, Swanson JJ, Grehan K, Xu H, Uchida M, Jones IM, Stonehouse NJ, Rowlands DJ. Protease-Independent Production of Poliovirus Virus-like Particles in Pichia pastoris: Implications for Efficient Vaccine Development and Insights into Capsid Assembly. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0430022. [PMID: 36507670 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04300-22] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of enterovirus virus-like particles (VLPs) that lack the viral genome have great potential as vaccines for a number of diseases, such as poliomyelitis and hand, foot, and mouth disease. These VLPs can mimic empty capsids, which are antigenically indistinguishable from mature virions, produced naturally during viral infection. Both in infection and in vitro, capsids and VLPs are generated by the cleavage of the P1 precursor protein by a viral protease. Here, using a stabilized poliovirus 1 (PV-1) P1 sequence as an exemplar, we show the production of PV-1 VLPs in Pichia pastoris in the absence of the potentially cytotoxic protease, 3CD, instead using the porcine teschovirus 2A (P2A) peptide sequence to terminate translation between individual capsid proteins. We compare this to protease-dependent production of PV-1 VLPs. Analysis of all permutations of the order of the capsid protein sequences revealed that only VP3 could be tagged with P2A and maintain native antigenicity. Transmission electron microscopy of these VLPs reveals the classic picornaviral icosahedral structure. Furthermore, these particles were thermostable above 37°C, demonstrating their potential as next generation vaccine candidates for PV. Finally, we believe the demonstration that native antigenic VLPs can be produced using protease-independent methods opens the possibility for future enteroviral vaccines to take advantage of recent vaccine technological advances, such as adenovirus-vectored vaccines and mRNA vaccines, circumventing the potential problems of cytotoxicity associated with 3CD, allowing for the production of immunogenic enterovirus VLPs in vivo. IMPORTANCE The widespread use of vaccines has dramatically reduced global incidence of poliovirus infections over a period of several decades and now the wild-type virus is only endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, current vaccines require the culture of large quantities of replication-competent virus for their manufacture, thus presenting a potential risk of reintroduction into the environment. It is now widely accepted that vaccination will need to be extended posteradication into the foreseeable future to prevent the potentially catastrophic reintroduction of poliovirus into an immunologically naive population. It is, therefore, imperative that novel vaccines are developed which are not dependent on the growth of live virus for their manufacture. We have expressed stabilized virus-like particles in yeast, from constructs that do not require coexpression of the protease. This is an important step in the development of environmentally safe and commercially viable vaccines against polio, which also provides some intriguing insights into the viral assembly process.
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Chu KB, Quan FS. Respiratory Viruses and Virus-like Particle Vaccine Development: How Far Have We Advanced? Viruses 2023; 15:v15020392. [PMID: 36851606 PMCID: PMC9965150 DOI: 10.3390/v15020392] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
With technological advancements enabling globalization, the intercontinental transmission of pathogens has become much easier. Respiratory viruses are one such group of pathogens that require constant monitoring since their outbreak leads to massive public health crises, as exemplified by the influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2. To prevent the transmission of these highly contagious viruses, developing prophylactic tools, such as vaccines, is of considerable interest to the scientific community. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are highly sought after as vaccine platforms for their safety and immunogenicity profiles. Although several VLP-based vaccines against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus have been approved for clinical use by the United States Food and Drug Administration, VLP vaccines against the three aforementioned respiratory viruses are lacking. Here, we summarize the most recent progress in pre-clinical and clinical VLP vaccine development. We also outline various strategies that contributed to improving the efficacy of vaccines against each virus and briefly discuss the stability aspect of VLPs that makes it a highly desired vaccine platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Back Chu
- Medical Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species and Biomedical Science Institute, Core Research Institute (CRI), Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Fu-Shi Quan
- Medical Research Center for Bioreaction to Reactive Oxygen Species and Biomedical Science Institute, Core Research Institute (CRI), Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence:
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VanderBurgt JT, Harper O, Garnham CP, Kohalmi SE, Menassa R. Plant production of a virus-like particle-based vaccine candidate against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1044675. [PMID: 36760639 PMCID: PMC9902946 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1044675] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a disease leading to spontaneous abortions and stillbirths in sows and lowered life quality and expectancy in growing pigs. PRRS is prevalent worldwide and has significant economic impacts to swine industries around the globe. Co-expression of the two most abundant proteins in the viral envelope, the matrix protein (M) and glycosylated protein 5 (GP5), can produce a neutralizing immune response for the virus providing a potentially effective subunit vaccine against the disease, but these proteins are difficult to express. The goal of this research was to display antigenic portions of the M and GP5 proteins on the surface of tobacco mosaic virus-like particles. A modified tobacco mosaic virus coat protein (TMVc) was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and targeted to three subcellular compartments along the secretory pathway to introduce glycosylation patterns important for M-GP5 epitope immunogenicity. We found that accumulation levels in the apoplast were similar to the ER and the vacuole. Because glycans present on plant apoplastic proteins are closest to those present on PRRSV proteins, a TMVc-M-GP5 fusion construct was targeted to the apoplast and accumulated at over 0.5 mg/g of plant fresh weight. TMVc virus-like particles self-assembled in plant cells and surface-displayed the M-GP5 epitope, as visualized by transmission electron microscopy and immunogold localization. These promising findings lay the foundation for immunogenicity and protective-immunity studies in animals to examine the efficacy of this vaccine candidate as a measure to control PRRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan T. VanderBurgt
- Biology Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ondre Harper
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
- Biochemistry Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher P. Garnham
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
- Biochemistry Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Rima Menassa
- Biology Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
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Bruder MR, Aucoin MG. Evaluation of Virus-Free Manufacture of Recombinant Proteins Using CRISPR-Mediated Gene Disruption in Baculovirus-Infected Insect Cells. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020225. [PMID: 36851104 PMCID: PMC9966935 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020225] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The manufacture and downstream processing of virus-like particles (VLPs) using the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is complicated by the presence of large concentrations of baculovirus particles, which are similar in size and density to VLPs, and consequently are difficult to separate. To reduce the burden of downstream processing, CRISPR-Cas9 technology was used to introduce insertion-deletion (indel) mutations within the Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) gp64 open reading frame, which encodes the major envelope protein of AcMNPV. After comfirming the site-specific targeting of gp64 leading to reduced budded virus (BV) release, the gag gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 was expressed to produce Gag VLPs. This approach was effective for producing VLPs using the BEVS whilst simultaneously obstructing BV release.
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Kim KR, Lee AS, Kim SM, Heo HR, Kim CS. Virus-like nanoparticles as a theranostic platform for cancer. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 10:1106767. [PMID: 36714624 PMCID: PMC9878189 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1106767] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Virus-like nanoparticles (VLPs) are natural polymer-based nanomaterials that mimic viral structures through the hierarchical assembly of viral coat proteins, while lacking viral genomes. VLPs have received enormous attention in a wide range of nanotechnology-based medical diagnostics and therapies, including cancer therapy, imaging, and theranostics. VLPs are biocompatible and biodegradable and have a uniform structure and controllable assembly. They can encapsulate a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic agents, and can be genetically or chemically modified. These properties have led to sophisticated multifunctional theranostic platforms. This article reviews the current progress in developing and applying engineered VLPs for molecular imaging, drug delivery, and multifunctional theranostics in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyeong Rok Kim
- Graduate School of Biochemistry, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Ae Sol Lee
- Graduate School of Biochemistry, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Su Min Kim
- Graduate School of Biochemistry, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Hye Ryoung Heo
- Senotherapy-Based Metabolic Disease Control Research Center, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea,*Correspondence: Chang Sup Kim, ; Hye Ryoung Heo,
| | - Chang Sup Kim
- Graduate School of Biochemistry, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea,School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea,*Correspondence: Chang Sup Kim, ; Hye Ryoung Heo,
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40
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Cho KN, Ouh IO, Park YM, Park MH, Min KM, Kang HJ, Yun SY, Song JY, Hyun BH, Park CK, Choi BH, Lee YH. A Plant-Produced Porcine Parvovirus 1-82 VP2 Subunit Vaccine Protects Pregnant Sows against Challenge with a Genetically Heterologous PPV1 Strain. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 11. [PMID: 36679898 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010054] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine parvovirus (PPV) causes reproductive failure in sows, and vaccination remains the most effective means of preventing infection. The NADL-2 strain has been used as a vaccine for ~50 years; however, it does not protect animals against genetically heterologous PPV strains. Thus, new effective and safe vaccines are needed. In this study, we aimed to identify novel PPV1 strains, and to develop PPV1 subunit vaccines. We isolated and sequenced PPV1 VP2 genes from 926 pigs and identified ten PPV1 strains (belonging to Groups C, D and E). We selected the Group D PPV1-82 strain as a vaccine candidate because it was close to the highly pathogenic 27a strain. The PPV1-82 VP2 protein was produced in Nicotiana benthamiana. It formed virus-like particles and exhibited a 211 agglutination value. The PPV1-190313 strain (Group E), isolated from an aborted fetus, was used as the challenging strain because it was pathogenic. The unvaccinated sow miscarried at 8 days postchallenge, and mummified fetuses were all PPV1-positive. By contrast, pregnant sows vaccinated with PPV1-82 VP2 had 9-11 Log2 antibody titers and produced normal fetuses after PPV1-190313 challenge. These results suggest the PPV1-82 VP2 subunit vaccine protects pregnant sows against a genetically heterologous PPV1 strain by inducing neutralizing antibodies.
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Yu B, Shi Q, Belk JA, Yost KE, Parker KR, Li R, Liu BB, Huang H, Lingwood D, Greenleaf WJ, Davis MM, Satpathy AT, Chang HY. Engineered cell entry links receptor biology with single-cell genomics. Cell 2022; 185:4904-4920.e22. [PMID: 36516854 PMCID: PMC9789208 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cells communicate with each other via receptor-ligand interactions. Here, we describe lentiviral-mediated cell entry by engineered receptor-ligand interaction (ENTER) to display ligand proteins, deliver payloads, and record receptor specificity. We optimize ENTER to decode interactions between T cell receptor (TCR)-MHC peptides, antibody-antigen, and other receptor-ligand pairs. A viral presentation strategy allows ENTER to capture interactions between B cell receptor and any antigen. We engineer ENTER to deliver genetic payloads to antigen-specific T or B cells to selectively modulate cellular behavior in mixed populations. Single-cell readout of ENTER by RNA sequencing (ENTER-seq) enables multiplexed enumeration of antigen specificities, TCR clonality, cell type, and states of individual T cells. ENTER-seq of CMV-seropositive patient blood samples reveals the viral epitopes that drive effector memory T cell differentiation and inter-clonal vs. intra-clonal phenotypic diversity targeting the same epitope. ENTER technology enables systematic discovery of receptor specificity, linkage to cell fates, and antigen-specific cargo delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingfei Yu
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Quanming Shi
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julia A Belk
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kathryn E Yost
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kevin R Parker
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rui Li
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Betty B Liu
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Huang Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Lingwood
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Mark M Davis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ansuman T Satpathy
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Chang YS, Chu LW, Chen ZY, Wu JS, Su WC, Yang CJ, Ping YH, Lin CW. Development of Fluorescence-Tagged SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particles by a Tri-Cistronic Vector Expression System for Investigating the Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2022; 14. [PMID: 36560829 DOI: 10.3390/v14122825] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the pandemic that began late December 2019. The co-expression of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins in cells could assemble into several types of virus-like particles (VLPs) without a viral RNA genome. VLPs containing S proteins with the structural and functional properties of authentic virions are safe materials to exploit for virus-cell entry and vaccine development. In this study, to generate SARS-CoV-2 VLPs (SCoV2-SEM VLPs) composed of three structural proteins including spike (S), envelop (E) protein and membrane (M) protein, a tri-cistronic vector expression system was established in a cell line co-expressing SARS-CoV-2 S, E and M proteins. The SCoV2-SEM VLPs were harvested from the cultured medium, and three structure proteins were confirmed by Western blot assay. A negative-stain TEM assay demonstrated the size of the SCoV2-SEM VLPs with a diameter of about 90 nm. To further characterize the infectious properties of SCoV2-SEM VLPs, the VLPs (atto647N-SCoV2-SEM VLPs) were fluorescence-labeled by conjugation with atto-647N and visualized under confocal microscopy at a single-particle resolution. The results of the infection assay revealed that atto647N-SCoV2-SEM VLPs attached to the surface of the HEK293T cells at the pre-binding phase in a ACE2-dependent manner. At the post-infection phase, atto647N-SCoV2-SEM VLPs either fused with the cellular membrane or internalized into the cytoplasm with mCherry-rab5-positive early endosomes. Moreover, fusion with the cellular membrane and the internalization with early endosomes could be inhibited by the treatment of camostat (a pharmacological inhibitor of TMPRSS2) and chlorpromazine (an endocytosis inhibitor), respectively. These results elucidated that SCoV2-SEM VLPs behave similarly to the authentic live SARS-CoV-2 virus, suggesting that the development of SCoV2-SEM VLPs provide a realistic and safe experimental model for studying the infectious mechanism of SARS-CoV-2.
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Yang Z, Chi Y, Bao J, Zhao X, Zhang J, Wang L. Virus-like Particles for TEM Regulation and Antitumor Therapy. J Funct Biomater 2022; 13. [PMID: 36547564 DOI: 10.3390/jfb13040304] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor development and metastasis are intimately associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME), and it is difficult for vector-restricted drugs to act on the TME for long-term cancer immunotherapy. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are nanocage structures self-assembled from nucleic acid free viral proteins. Most VLPs range from 20-200 nm in diameter and can naturally drain into lymph nodes to induce robust humoral immunity. As natural nucleic acid nanocarriers, their surfaces can also be genetically or chemically modified to achieve functions such as TME targeting. This review focuses on the design ideas of VLP as nanocarriers and the progress of their research in regulating TME.
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Mardanova ES, Kotlyarov RY, Stuchinskaya MD, Nikolaeva LI, Zahmanova G, Ravin NV. High-Yield Production of Chimeric Hepatitis E Virus-Like Particles Bearing the M2e Influenza Epitope and Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 in Plants Using Viral Vectors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23. [PMID: 36555326 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415684] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Capsid protein of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is capable of self-assembly into virus-like particles (VLPs) when expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Such VLPs could be used as carriers of antigens for vaccine development. In this study, we obtained VLPs based on truncated coat protein of HEV bearing the M2e peptide of Influenza A virus or receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (RBD). We optimized the immunogenic epitopes' presentation by inserting them into the protruding domain of HEV ORF2 at position Tyr485. The fusion proteins were expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants using self-replicating potato virus X (PVX)-based vector. The fusion protein HEV/M2, targeted to the cytosol, was expressed at the level of about 300-400 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue and appeared to be soluble. The fusion protein was purified using metal affinity chromatography under native conditions with the final yield about 200 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue. The fusion protein HEV/RBD, targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum, was expressed at about 80-100 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue; the yield after purification was up to 20 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue. The recombinant proteins HEV/M2 and HEV/RBD formed nanosized virus-like particles that could be recognized by antibodies against inserted epitopes. The ELISA assay showed that antibodies of COVID-19 patients can bind plant-produced HEV/RBD virus-like particles. This study shows that HEV capsid protein is a promising carrier for presentation of foreign antigen.
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Wolf T, Rosengarten J, Härtel I, Stitz J, Barbe S. A Hydrodynamic Approach to the Study of HIV Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Tangential Flow Filtration. Membranes (Basel) 2022; 12:membranes12121248. [PMID: 36557156 PMCID: PMC9783767 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12121248] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Emerging as a promising pathway to HIV vaccines, Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) have drawn considerable attention in recent years. A challenge of working with HIV VLPs in biopharmaceutical processes is their low rigidity, and factors such as shear stress, osmotic pressure and pH variation have to be reduced during their production. In this context, the purification and concentration of VLPs are often achieved by means of Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) involving ultrafiltration hollow fiber modules. Despite the urgent need for robust upscaling strategies and further process cost reduction, very little attention has been dedicated to the identification of the mechanisms limiting the performance of HIV VLP TFF processes. In this work, for the first time, a hydrodynamic approach based on particle friction was successfully developed as a methodology for both the optimization and the upscaling of HIV VLP TFF. Friction forces acting on near-membrane HIV VLPs are estimated, and the plausibility of the derived static coefficients of friction is discussed. The particle friction-based model seems to be very suitable for the fitting of experimental data related to HIV VLP TFF as well as for upscaling projections. According to our predictions, there is still considerable room for improvement of HIV VLP TFF, and operating this process at slightly higher flow velocities may dramatically enhance the efficiency of VLP purification and concentration. This work offers substantial guidance to membrane scientists during the design of upscaling strategies for HIV VLP TFF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Wolf
- Research Group Process Engineering, Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences, TH Köln—University of Applied Sciences, Campusplatz 1, 51379 Leverkusen, Germany
- Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Callinstraße 5, 30167 Hannover, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Jamila Rosengarten
- Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Callinstraße 5, 30167 Hannover, Germany
- Research Group Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences, TH Köln—University of Applied Sciences, Campusplatz 1, 51379 Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Ina Härtel
- Research Group Process Engineering, Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences, TH Köln—University of Applied Sciences, Campusplatz 1, 51379 Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Jörn Stitz
- Research Group Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences, TH Köln—University of Applied Sciences, Campusplatz 1, 51379 Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Stéphan Barbe
- Research Group Process Engineering, Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences, TH Köln—University of Applied Sciences, Campusplatz 1, 51379 Leverkusen, Germany
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Bruder MR, Aucoin MG. Utility of Alternative Promoters for Foreign Gene Expression Using the Baculovirus Expression Vector System. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122670. [PMID: 36560674 PMCID: PMC9786725 DOI: 10.3390/v14122670] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is a widely used platform for recombinant protein production for use in a wide variety of applications. Of particular interest is production of virus-like particles (VLPs), which consist of multiple viral proteins that self-assemble in strict stoichiometric ratios to mimic the structure of a virus but lacks its genetic material, while a significant amount of effort has been spent on optimizing expression ratios by co-infecting cells with multiple recombinant BEVs and modulating different process parameters, co-expressing multiple foreign genes from a single rBEV may offer more promise. However, there is currently a lack of promoters available with which to optimize co-expression of each foreign gene. To address this, previously published transcriptome data was used to identify promoters that have incrementally lower expression profiles and compared by expressing model cytoplasmic and secreted proteins. Bioinformatics was also used to identify sequence determinants that may be important for late gene transcription regulation, and translation initiation. The identified promoters and bioinformatics analyses may be useful for optimizing expression of foreign genes in the BEVS.
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Resch MD, Wen K, Mazboudi R, Mulhall Maasz H, Persaud M, Garvey K, Gallardo L, Gottlieb P, Alimova A, Khayat R, Morales J, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Bowen RA, Galarza JM. Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Monovalent and Bivalent Formulations of a Virus-Like Particle Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10121997. [PMID: 36560407 PMCID: PMC9782034 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10121997] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) offer great potential as a safe and effective vaccine platform against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 VLPs can be generated by expression of the four viral structural proteins in a mammalian expression system. Immunization of mice with a monovalent VLP vaccine elicited a potent humoral response, showing neutralizing activity against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. Subsequent immunogenicity and efficacy studies were performed in the Golden Syrian hamster model, which closely resembles the pathology and progression of COVID-19 in humans. Hamsters immunized with a bivalent VLP vaccine were significantly protected from infection with the Beta or Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. Vaccinated hamsters showed reduced viral load, shedding, replication, and pathology in the respiratory tract. Immunized hamsters also showed variable levels of cross-neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant. Overall, the VLP vaccine elicited robust protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. These promising results warrant further study of multivalent VLP vaccines in Phase I clinical trials in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ke Wen
- TechnoVax, Inc., 6 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA
| | - Ryan Mazboudi
- TechnoVax, Inc., 6 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA
| | | | - Mirjana Persaud
- TechnoVax, Inc., 6 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Garvey
- TechnoVax, Inc., 6 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA
| | - Leslie Gallardo
- TechnoVax, Inc., 6 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA
| | - Paul Gottlieb
- CUNY School of Medicine, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Aleksandra Alimova
- CUNY School of Medicine, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Reza Khayat
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Jorge Morales
- Microscopy Facility, Division of Science, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Richard A. Bowen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Jose M. Galarza
- TechnoVax, Inc., 6 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523, USA
- Correspondence:
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Worawittayatada J, Angsujinda K, Sinnuengnong R, Attasart P, Smith DR, Assavalapsakul W. Simultaneous Production of a Virus-Like Particle Linked to dsRNA to Enhance dsRNA Delivery for Yellow Head Virus Inhibition. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122594. [PMID: 36560598 PMCID: PMC9785521 DOI: 10.3390/v14122594] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A co-expressed Penaeus stylirostris densovirus (PstDNV) capsid and dsRNA specific to the yellow head virus (YHV) protease (CoEx cpPstDNV/dspro) has been shown to suppress YHV replication in the Pacific white-legged shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). However, maintaining two plasmids in a single bacterial cell is not desirable; therefore, a single plasmid harboring both the PstDNV capsid and the dsRNA-YHV-pro gene was constructed under the regulation of a single T7 promoter, designated pET28a-Linked cpPstDNV-dspro. Following induction, this novel construct expressed an approximately 37-kDa recombinant protein associated with a roughly 400-bp dsRNA (Linked cpPstDNV-dspro). Under a transmission electron microscope, the virus-like particles (VLP; Linked PstDNV VLPs-dspro) obtained were seen to be monodispersed, similar to the native PstDNV virion. A nuclease digestion assay indicated dsRNA molecules were both encapsulated and present outside the Linked PstDNV VLPs-dspro. In addition, the amount of dsRNA produced from this strategy was higher than that obtained with a co-expression strategy. In a YHV infection challenge, the Linked PstDNV VLPs-dspro was more effective in delaying and reducing mortality than other constructs tested. Lastly, the linked construct provides protection for the dsRNA cargo from nucleolytic enzymes present in the shrimp hemolymph. This is the first report of a VLP carrying virus-inhibiting dsRNA that could be produced without disassembly and reassembly to control virus infection in shrimp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaruwan Worawittayatada
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kitipong Angsujinda
- Aquatic Resources Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Rapee Sinnuengnong
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Department of Research and Development, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, The Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Pongsopee Attasart
- Center of Applied Shrimp Research and Innovation, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakorn Pathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Duncan R. Smith
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakorn Pathom 73170, Thailand
| | - Wanchai Assavalapsakul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-2218-5096
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Shao S, Wang Q, Jin Y, Zhang X, Liu Z, Chen S, Wu H, Yang S, Tang F, Su J, Liang Y, Zhang J, Li Q. Recombinant Virus-like Particles of Human Parvovirus B19 with the Internal Location of VP1 Unique Region Produced by Hansenula polymorpha. Viruses 2022; 14. [PMID: 36366508 DOI: 10.3390/v14112410] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Human parvovirus B19 (HPV B19) is pathogenic to human, which can cause fifth disease, transient aplastic crisis, arthritis, myocarditis, autoimmune disorders, hydrops fetalis, and so on. Currently, no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs are available against HPV B19, and thus the development of effective vaccines is needed. The capsid of HPV B19 is composed of two types of proteins, i.e., the major capsid protein VP2 and the minor protein VP1. Previous experimental studies have shown that the dominant immune responses against HPV B19 are elicited by VP1, especially the unique region on the N-terminus of VP1. It has been found that VP2 alone or VP2 and VP1 together can assemble into virus-like particle (VLP). The VLP structure formed by VP2 has been resolved, however, the location of VP1 in the capsid, especially the location of VP1 unique region with strong immunogenicity, is still not clear. In the present work, using the Hansenula polymorpha expression system developed by our laboratory, two kinds of recombinant HPV B19 VLPs were expressed, i.e., the VLP co-assembled by VP1 and VP2 (VP1/VP2 VLP) and the VLP whose VP1 content was improved (VP1h/VP2 VLP). The expression, purity, and morphology of these two VLPs were characterized, and then their immunogenic properties were investigated and compared with those of the VLP containing VP2 alone (VP2 VLP) previously developed by our group. Furthermore, the location of the VP1 unique region in the VLPs was determined by using the immunogold electron microscopy (IGEM). Our experimental results show that the VP1h/VP2 VLP elicits a stronger neutralization against the HPV B19 than VP2 and VP1/VP2 VLPs, which implies that the increase of VP1 content significantly improves the level of neutralizing antibodies. In addition, the IGEM observations suggest that the unique region of VP1 may be located inside the recombinant VLP. The VLPs recombinantly expressed by our Hansenula polymorpha system may serve as a promising candidate immunogen for HPV B19 vaccine development.
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Yang H, Talledge N, Arndt WG, Zhang W, Mansky LM. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 Capsid Protein Mutagenesis Reveals Amino Acid Residues Important for Virus Particle Assembly. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167753. [PMID: 35868362 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167753] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Gag drives virus particle assembly. The capsid (CA) domain is critical for Gag multimerization mediated by protein-protein interactions. The Gag protein interaction network defines critical aspects of the retroviral lifecycle at steps such as particle assembly and maturation. Previous studies have demonstrated that the immature particle morphology of HIV-2 is intriguingly distinct relative to that of HIV-1. Based upon this observation, we sought to determine the amino acid residues important for virus assembly that might help explain the differences between HIV-1 and HIV-2. To do this, we conducted site-directed mutagenesis of targeted locations in the HIV-2 CA domain of Gag and analyzed various aspects of virus particle assembly. A panel of 31 site-directed mutants of residues that reside at the HIV-2 CA inter-hexamer interface, intra-hexamer interface and CA inter-domain linker were created and analyzed for their effects on the efficiency of particle production, particle morphology, particle infectivity, Gag subcellular distribution and in vitro protein assembly. Seven conserved residues between HIV-1 and HIV-2 (L19, A41, I152, K153, K157, N194, D196) and two non-conserved residues (G38, N127) were found to significantly impact Gag multimerization and particle assembly. Taken together, these observations complement structural analyses of immature HIV-2 particle morphology and Gag lattice organization as well as provide important comparative insights into the key amino acid residues that can help explain the observed differences between HIV immature particle morphology and its association with virus replication and particle infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixin Yang
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Comparative Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Nathaniel Talledge
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Division of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - William G Arndt
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Division of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Division of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Characterization Facility, College of Sciences and Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Louis M Mansky
- Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Division of Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Comparative Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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