一种展示SARS冠状病毒受体结合区的重组枯草杆菌芽孢的制备及免疫原性分析

目的：利用枯草杆菌芽孢呈递技术制备表达SARS冠状病毒S蛋白受体结合区（RBD）的重组芽孢。方法：将枯草杆菌 CotB 基因构建到基因组整合质粒pDG1664中,再将 RBD 基因连接到 CotB 基因的下游,构建成重组质粒pDG1664-CotB-RBD,通过同源重组整合到PY-79枯草杆菌基因组中;利用红霉素抗性筛选重组菌并进行PCR和DNA测序鉴定,Western印迹鉴定重组菌芽孢表面RBD蛋白的表达情况;用表达RBD的重组芽孢以口服方式免疫小鼠,通过ELISA和流式细胞术检测重组芽孢的免疫原性。结果：制备出枯草杆菌基因组整合了RBD抗原基因的重组菌株RS1931,形成的重组芽孢表达相对分子质量约62×103的CotB-RBD融合蛋白;重组芽孢免疫的小鼠血清RBD抗原特异性IgG抗体滴度在末次免疫后2周可达1∶10880,重组芽孢初免后18周的小鼠脾细胞中IFN-γ＋CD4^＋、IL-4＋CD4^＋和IFN-γ＋CD8^＋T细胞比例上调,表明重组芽孢经口服免疫产生良好的体液免疫和细胞免疫应答。结论：针对SARS冠状病毒S蛋白RBD建立了枯草杆菌芽孢呈递技术方法,制备出在枯草杆菌芽孢表面稳定表达外源RBD蛋白的重组株,获得的重组芽孢具有良好的免疫原性,为开发芽孢呈递型SARS疫苗奠定了基础。     

高等植物叶绿体表达重组蛋白研究进展

近年来,基因工程技术发展迅速,许多重组蛋白得以表达。其中利用植物生物反应器表达特异药物蛋白为人类一些重要疾病的预防和治疗提供了新途径。植物叶绿体遗传转化和表达系统成为目前植物生物反应器的研究热点。因结构和遗传上的特殊性,高等植物叶绿体在重组蛋白表达方面具有独特优势,外源基因表达量高、定点整合,而且叶绿体母系遗传特性保证了生物安全性。很多重要药用蛋白质在植物叶绿体中表达成功。烟草作为高等植物叶绿体转化模式植物,在疫苗抗原、抗体等药物蛋白和其他重要重组蛋白表达方面取得显著进展。高等植物叶绿体遗传转化也为叶绿体基因的表达和调控机制的研究提供新的技术和方法。文中从叶绿体遗传转化原理、载体构建、重组蛋白和重要药物蛋白在叶绿体中的表达以及重组蛋白表达对植物代谢和性状影响等多个角度,对高等植物叶绿体遗传转化体系研究的新进展进行了综述,以期为叶绿体表达平台的开发和重要药用蛋白质的表达提供新思路。     

猪圆环病毒2型Cap蛋白在烟草叶绿体中的表达

猪圆环病毒2型(porcine circovirus type 2,PCV2)可读框2(open reading frame 2,ORF2)基因编码具有多个抗原表位的病毒衣壳(Cap)蛋白,能在机体内有效引发免疫反应并产生中和抗体,是预防和治疗猪圆环病毒病(porcine circovirus-associated disease,PCVAD)的主要抗原。但Cap蛋白高昂的生产成本限制了它的广泛应用。为了探索Cap蛋白新的生产途径,本研究选择烟草叶绿体为表达平台,构建了ORF2抗原基因烟草叶绿体表达载体pNK-a03,并通过基因枪法(gene biolistics)将表达载体导入烟草叶绿体中。转化植株经PCR和RT-PCR检测,证实ORF2抗原基因已整合进烟草叶绿体基因组中且正常转录。蛋白质印迹检测和ELISA分析表明,Cap蛋白在烟草叶绿体内获得有效表达,具有免疫活性。此外,种子萌发研究结果显示,转基因烟草植株F1代具有aadA抗性,目的基因可正常进行遗传。这些研究结果为探索Cap蛋白的新型表达途径提供了理论基础。     

猪圆环病毒2型Cap蛋白在烟草叶绿体中的表达（英文）

猪圆环病毒2型(porcine circovirus type 2,PCV2)可读框2(open reading frame 2,ORF2)基因编码具有多个抗原表位的病毒衣壳(Cap)蛋白,能在机体内有效引发免疫反应并产生中和抗体,是预防和治疗猪圆环病毒病(porcine circovirus-associated disease, PCVAD)的主要抗原。但Cap蛋白高昂的生产成本限制了它的广泛应用。为了探索Cap蛋白新的生产途径,本研究选择烟草叶绿体为表达平台,构建了ORF2抗原基因烟草叶绿体表达载体pNK-a03,并通过基因枪法(gene biolistics)将表达载体导入烟草叶绿体中。转化植株经PCR和RT-PCR检测,证实ORF2抗原基因已整合进烟草叶绿体基因组中且正常转录。蛋白质印迹检测和ELISA分析表明,Cap蛋白在烟草叶绿体内获得有效表达,具有免疫活性。此外,种子萌发研究结果显示,转基因烟草植株F1代具有aadA抗性,目的基因可正常进行遗传。这些研究结果为探索Cap蛋白的新型表达途径提供了理论基础。     

叶绿体转化及其用于疫苗表达研究的最新进展

随着植物转基因研究的不断深入,核基因组转化的转基因沉默现象严重影响了基因工程的应用效果。植物叶绿体遗传转化以叶绿体基因组为平台对植物进行遗传操作,外源基因定点整合及母性遗传特性能较好地解决"顺式失活"和"位置效应"等类的基因沉默问题和转基因逃逸等安全问题,成为植物基因工程发展的新方向,在工业、农业及医药生物领域发挥了重要作用,也为生产廉价、安全的植物疫苗提供了新思路。本文在简要介绍叶绿体转化的原理、转化方法与优势的基础上,重点综述了近年来通过该技术表达的一些重要的病毒抗原和细菌抗原。最后,对叶绿体转化技术在表达外源基因方面存在的问题进行分析。未来随着叶绿体基因表达、调控机制研究的逐渐深入及相关技术体系的日臻完善,叶绿体转化有望成为疫苗生产的生力军。     

重组SARS病毒N蛋白可与SARS患者血清发生特异反应

N蛋白是SARS CoV病毒基因组编码病毒核衣壳蛋白 ,它不同于现已知的任何蛋白质 .对它的深入研究对揭示SARS -CoV的致病机理和疫苗及诊断试剂的研制有重要意义 .灭活的病毒经逆转录后 ,用根据已知的病毒的基因组序列所设计的引物PCR扩增N蛋白基因 .扩增出的基因经序列分析表明和已知的序列完全一致 ,共编码 4 2 2个氨基酸残基 .将N蛋白基因克隆入原核表达载体pET2 8a构建成表达质粒pET2 8a N .表达质粒转化大肠杆菌BL2 1 (DE3) ,并用IPTG诱导后 ,获得了高表达N蛋白的重组菌株 .目的蛋白经一步金属离子螯合层析纯化后获得了纯度超过 90 %的样品 .Western印迹及ELISA分析表明 ,SARS患者体内有特异性的针对N蛋白的抗体 ,并具有较高的特异性 .这为临床上诊断SARS患者提供了新方法 ,并为SARS疫苗的研制提供了研究思路     

用重组烟草大量生产生长激素

《日经生物技术》2000年3月13日号第12页报道：美国孟山都公司使用基因重组烟草大量生产生长激素。其产量相当于传统技术的300倍以上。详细情况见Nature Biotechnology杂志2000年3月号333页。 进行这项研究的是美国孟山都公司的子公司Agracetus公司。其最大特点是不仅向植物细胞核导入基因,而且还向叶绿体等细胞内小器官染色体中导入基因。 向植物细胞内100多个质体导入基因的技术是Agracetus公司和同样也是美国孟山都公司子公司的美国Calgene公司等共同开发的。该技术可称得上是进行超大量蛋白表达的关键技术。如果质体是来自母亲的,只遗传给下代,就不会通过雄性生殖器官-花粉传播。因此,可以避免花粉扩散,向近缘野生生物导入基因的危险。当然也有希望成为知识产权保护技术。这项成果可以说向实现植物物质生产技术-分子农业迈出了一大步。 据报道,可在叶绿体核蛋白体RNA操纵子和叶绿体表达基因-psbA启动子的下游构建泛琨素(工ビキチン)与生长激素的融合蛋白,然后使用基因枪向同源重组烟草的叶细胞叶绿体中导入基因。用细胞内泛琨素蛋白酶切断融合蛋白可分离出生长激素,叶绿体蛋白蓄积量(即可溶性蛋白)高达7％,而现已有用植物表达激素的例子,但其蓄积量只有O．1％。结果证明,除融合蛋白可用蛋白酶切断并再现生长激素内的2硫键外,还通过培养细胞系确认生长激素蛋白具有细胞增殖活性的蛋白。孙国凤     

通路克隆入门载体pEN-L4~*-PrbcS-~*T-gfp-L3~*的构建及其应用

为了利用通路克隆(Gateway)技术构建一个含有两个目的基因表达盒的植物表达载体,并把目的基因编码的蛋白质定位到转基因植物的叶绿体中,通过定点突变技术,在含有attL4和attL3重组位点的Gateway入门载体pEN-L4-2-L3中产生HindⅢ和XhoⅠ的酶切位点,然后在这两个酶切位点之间插入一个含有1,5-二磷酸核酮糖羧化酶小亚基的光诱导型启动子(PrbcS)及其叶绿体基质定位序列(*T)和绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)报告基因(gfp)的DNA片段,获得pEN-L4*-PrbcS-*T-gfp-L3*入门载体.用该载体和另一个含有attL1和attL2重组位点的入门载体(pENTR*-PrbcS-*T-gus)与Gateway的目的载体pK7 m34GW2-8 m21GW3进行LR重组反应可以构建一个能串联gfp和gus两个报告基因表达盒的植物表达载体pKm-35S-PrbcS-*T-gfp-PROLD-PrbcS-*T-gus,所构建的植物表达载体转化烟草后,gfp和gus基因能插入到转基因烟草的基因组中并正常表达,所表达的GFP蛋白可正确定位到转基因植物的叶绿体中,而GUS蛋白也可以在叶片中表达.利用此表达载体通过一次转化事件不仅可以完成两个目的基因的转化操作,而且还可以利用叶绿体基质定位序列(*T)把PrbcS控制表达的目的蛋白直接定位到转基因植物的叶绿体中.因此pEN-L4*-PrbcS-*T-gfp-L3*入门载体的应用进一步扩大了Gateway技术及植物表达载体的应用范围,为叶绿体基因工程操作提供了一个更方便的技术平台.     

小立碗藓叶绿体分裂相关基因PpMinE的克隆及其功能与进化分析

用RT-PCR技术从小立碗藓中(Physcomitrella patens)克隆了核编码的MinE基因,命名为PpMinE,并克隆了该基因的基因组DNA。序列比对显示该基因编码的蛋白质与真细菌和绿藻叶绿体编码的MinE蛋白具有较高的相似性。pMinE-EGFP融合蛋白在烟草中的瞬时表达证明该蛋白定位于叶绿体内。在大肠杆菌中过量表达PpMinE导致细胞不正常分裂,产生无染色体的小细胞,这表明MinE的功能在进化上是保守的。在系统发育树中,PpMinE和高等陆生植物有较近的亲缘关系。在已知的陆生植物的叶绿体基因组中没有找到MinE的同源蛋白,这暗示在进化过程中MinE从叶绿体到细胞核的水平转移可能发生在陆生植物发生以前。     

水稻叶绿体16S启动子克隆改造、载体构建及转化研究

利用PCR方法从水稻叶绿体基因组DNA中分离16S启动子,并在其下游加入rbcL基因SD序列,以增强该启动子的翻译能力;序列分析表明,除加入的SD序列外,扩增片段与水稻(Oryza sativa)叶绿体基因组DNA序列16S启动子相应区域同源性为100％。将16S启动子与bar基因和gfp基因的融合基因连接,以psbA基因的3′序列为终止子,并以烟草叶绿体trnH—psbA和trnK为同源片段构建了烟草叶绿体表达载体pRl6S。用基因枪转化烟草,转化植株经Southern、Northern检测及后代遗传学分析,发现：16S启动子具有启动活性,融合基因已在烟草叶绿体中稳定整合并遵循母系遗传规律。     

Accumulation of recombinant SARS-CoV spike protein in plant cytosol and chloroplasts indicate potential for development of plant-derived oral vaccines

Plants are promising candidates as bioreactors for the production of oral recombinant proteins in the biopharmaceutical industry. As an initial step toward provision of an oral vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), we have expressed a partial spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV in the cytosol of nuclear-transformed plants and in the chloroplasts of plastid-transformed plants. In the construction of both nuclear and plastid transformation vectors, a 2-kilobase nucleotide sequence encoding amino acids 1-658 of the SARS-CoV spike protein (S1) was modified with nucleotide changes, but not amino acid changes, to optimize codon usage for expression in plants. To investigate the subcellular localization of S1 during transient expression in tobacco leaves, a translational fusion consisting of S1 and the green fluorescent protein (GFP) was generated. Following agroinfiltration of tobacco leaves, analysis by laser confocal scanning microscopy revealed that the S1:GFP fusion protein was localized to the cytosol. In stable transgenic tobacco plants and lettuce plants generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, tobacco and lettuce leaves were observed to express the S1 at high levels from the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter with Northern blot analysis. When the S1 was expressed in transplastomic tobacco, S1 messenger RNA and its corresponding protein were detected on Northern and Western blot analyses, respectively. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of producing S1 in nuclear- and chloroplast-transformed plants, indicating its potential in subsequent development of a plant-derived and safe oral recombinant subunit vaccine against the SARS-CoV in edible plants.     

Receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV spike protein induces highly potent neutralizing antibodies: implication for developing subunit vaccine

The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV), a type I transmembrane envelope glycoprotein, consists of S1 and S2 domains responsible for virus binding and fusion, respectively. The S1 contains a receptor-binding domain (RBD) that can specifically bind to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the receptor on target cells. Here we show that a recombinant fusion protein (designated RBD-Fc) containing 193-amino acid RBD (residues 318-510) and a human IgG1 Fc fragment can induce highly potent antibody responses in the immunized rabbits. The antibodies recognized RBD on S1 domain and completely inhibited SARS-CoV infection at a serum dilution of 1:10,240. Rabbit antisera effectively blocked binding of S1, which contains RBD, to ACE2. This suggests that RBD can induce highly potent neutralizing antibody responses and has potential to be developed as an effective and safe subunit vaccine for prevention of SARS.     

Expression of an Escherichia coli antigenic fusion protein comprising the heat labile toxin B subunit and the heat stable toxin, and its assembly as a functional oligomer in transplastomic tobacco plants

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains are important pathogens in developing countries. Some vaccine formulations containing the heat labile toxin B subunit (LTB) have been used in clinical trials; however, the induction of neutralizing antibodies against the heat-stable toxin (ST), a poor immunogenic peptide, is necessary, as most ETEC strains can produce both toxins. In this study, a plant optimized synthetic gene encoding for the LTB-ST fusion protein has been introduced into plastids of tobacco leaf tissues, using biolistic microprojectile bombardment, in an effort to develop a single plant-based candidate vaccine against both toxins. Transplastomic tobacco plants carrying the LTB-ST transgene have been recovered. Transgene insertion into the plastid was confirmed by both PCR and Southern blot analysis. GM1-ELISA revealed that the LTB-ST fusion protein retained its oligomeric structure, and displayed antigenic determinants for both LTB and ST. Western blot analysis, using LTB antisera, confirmed the presence of a 17-KDa protein in transplastomic lines, with the correct antigenicity of the fusion protein. Expression levels of this fusion protein in different lines reached up to 2.3% total soluble protein. Oral immunization of mice with freeze-dried transplastomic tobacco leaves led to the induction of both serum and mucosal LTB-ST specific antibodies. Following cholera toxin challenge, a decrease of intestinal fluid accumulation was observed in mice immunized with LTB-ST-containing tobacco. These findings suggest that tobacco plants expressing LTB-ST could serve as a plant-based candidate vaccine model providing broad-spectrum protection against ETEC-induced diarrhoeal disease.     

High expression level of a foot and mouth disease virus epitope in tobacco transplastomic plants

Chloroplast transformation has an extraordinary potential for antigen production in plants because of the capacity to accumulate high levels of recombinant proteins and increased biosafety due to maternal plastid inheritance in most crops. In this article, we evaluate tobacco chloroplasts transformation for the production of a highly immunogenic epitope containing amino acid residues 135–160 of the structural protein VP1 of the foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV). To increase the accumulation levels, the peptide was expressed as a fusion protein with the β-glucuronidase reporter gene (uidA). The recombinant protein represented the 51% of the total soluble proteins in mature leaves, a level higher than those of the Rubisco large subunit, the most abundant protein in the leaf of a wild-type plant. Despite this high accumulation of heterologous protein, the transplastomic plants and wild-type tobacco were phenotypically indistinguishable. The FMDV epitope expressed in transplastomic plants was immunogenic in mice. These results show that transplastomic tobacco express efficiently the recombinant protein, and we conclude that this technology allows the production of large quantities of immunogenic proteins.     

Low Cost Tuberculosis Vaccine Antigens in Capsules: Expression in Chloroplasts,Bio-Encapsulation,Stability and Functional Evaluation In Vitro

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the leading fatal infectious diseases. The development of TB vaccines has been recognized as a major public health priority by the World Health Organization. In this study, three candidate antigens, ESAT-6 (6kDa early secretory antigenic target) and Mtb72F (a fusion polyprotein from two TB antigens, Mtb32 and Mtb39) fused with cholera toxin B-subunit (CTB) and LipY (a cell wall protein) were expressed in tobacco and/or lettuce chloroplasts to facilitate bioencapsulation/oral delivery. Site-specific transgene integration into the chloroplast genome was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. In transplastomic leaves, CTB fusion proteins existed in soluble monomeric or multimeric forms of expected sizes and their expression levels varied depending upon the developmental stage and time of leaf harvest, with the highest-level of accumulation in mature leaves harvested at 6PM. The CTB-ESAT6 and CTB-Mtb72F expression levels reached up to 7.5% and 1.2% of total soluble protein respectively in mature tobacco leaves. Transplastomic CTB-ESAT6 lettuce plants accumulated up to 0.75% of total leaf protein. Western blot analysis of lyophilized lettuce leaves stored at room temperature for up to six months showed that the CTB-ESAT6 fusion protein was stable and preserved proper folding, disulfide bonds and assembly into pentamers for prolonged periods. Also, antigen concentration per gram of leaf tissue was increased 22 fold after lyophilization. Hemolysis assay with purified CTB-ESAT6 protein showed partial hemolysis of red blood cells and confirmed functionality of the ESAT-6 antigen. GM1-binding assay demonstrated that the CTB-ESAT6 fusion protein formed pentamers to bind with the GM1-ganglioside receptor. The expression of functional Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in transplastomic plants should facilitate development of a cost-effective and orally deliverable TB booster vaccine with potential for long-term storage at room temperature. To our knowledge, this is the first report of expression of TB vaccine antigens in chloroplasts.     

Antigenicity and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV S protein receptor-binding domain stably expressed in CHO cells

The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) spike (S) protein contains multiple conformation-dependent epitopes that induce neutralizing antibody responses. Here we used CHO-K1 cells to establish a cell line for stable expression of a 193-mer (residues 318-510) RBD (RBD193-CHO) and determined its antigenicity and immunogenicity. We found that RBD193-CHO reacted strongly with a panel of six monoclonal antibodies recognizing various conformational and linear epitopes in RBD, suggesting that this recombinant protein maintains intact conformation and good antigenicity. Immunization of mice with RBD193-CHO resulted in induction of high titers of RBD-specific neutralizing antibodies and potent IL-4-expressing T cell responses. RBD193-CHO induced immunity that protected a majority of the vaccinated mice from SARS-CoV challenge. These results suggest that the recombinant RBD produced in an established stable cell line maintains strong immunogenicity with high potential for use as an effective and economic subunit SARS vaccine.     

Expression of a multi-epitope DPT fusion protein in transplastomic tobacco plants retains both antigenicity and immunogenicity of all three components of the functional oligomer

Expression of genes in plant chloroplasts provides an opportunity for enhanced production of target proteins. We report the introduction and expression of a fusion DPT protein containing immunoprotective exotoxin epitopes of Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Bordetella pertussis, and Clostridium tetani in tobacco chloroplasts. Using biolistic-mediated transformation, a plant-optimized synthetic DPT gene was successfully transferred to tobacco plastomes. Putative transplastomic T0 plants were identified by PCR, and Southern blot analysis confirmed homoplasmy in T1 progeny. ELISA assays demonstrated that the DPT protein retained antigenicity of the three components of the fusion protein. The highest level of expression in these transplastomic plants reached 0.8% of total soluble protein. To assess whether the functional recombinant protein expressed in tobacco plants would induce specific antibodies in test animals, a mice feeding experiment was conducted. For mice orally immunized with freeze-dried transplastomic leaves, production of IgG and IgA antibodies specific to each toxin were detected in serum and mucosal tissues. R. E. Soria-Guerra and A. G. Alpuche-Solís contributed equally to this work.     

Plastid expression of a double-pentameric vaccine candidate containing human papillomavirus-16 L1 antigen fused with LTB as adjuvant: transplastomic plants show pleiotropic phenotypes

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer in women worldwide, which is currently prevented by vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLPs). However, these vaccines have certain limitations in their availability to developing countries, largely due to elevated costs. Concerning the highest burden of disease in resource-poor countries, development of an improved mucosal and cost-effective vaccine is a necessity. As an alternative to VLPs, capsomeres have been shown to be highly immunogenic and can be used as vaccine candidate. Furthermore, coupling of an adjuvant like Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin subunit B (LTB) to an antigen can increase its immunogenicity and reduce the costs related to separate co-administration of adjuvants. Our study demonstrates the expression of two pentameric proteins: the modified HPV-16 L1 (L1_2xCysM) and LTB as a fusion protein in tobacco chloroplasts. Homoplasmy of the transplastomic plants was confirmed by Southern blotting. Western blot analysis showed that the LTB-L1 fusion protein was properly expressed in the plastids and the recombinant protein was estimated to accumulate up to 2% of total soluble protein. Proper folding and display of conformational epitopes for both LTB and L1 in the fusion protein was confirmed by GM1-ganglioside binding assay and antigen capture ELISA, respectively. However, all transplastomic lines showed chlorosis, male sterility and growth retardation, which persisted in the ensuing four generations studied. Nevertheless, plants reached maturity and produced seeds by pollination with wild-type plants. Taken together, these results pave the way for the possible development of a low-cost adjuvant-coupled vaccine with potentially improved immunogenicity against cervical cancer.