衣壳修饰对病毒样颗粒稳定性及其免疫原性的影响

全球现有疫苗种类中，病毒样颗粒（Virus-like particles, VLPs）疫苗以其安全性和高效性而被广泛关注。VLPs是一种不含核酸的病毒蛋白衣壳，目前可根据不同需求设计目标衣壳蛋白序列并在不同的表达系统中构建生产。在疫苗设计环节，对VLPs衣壳蛋白进行合理设计和修饰，可大大增强VLPs的稳定性，尤其是提高衣壳组装过程及组装体的稳定性，间接影响VLPs的免疫原性，对提升VLPs疫苗的有效性和安全性有重要作用。近年来国内外研究表明影响VLPs衣壳组装过程的稳定性的基本因素是组装环境中的离子强度和pH值，而影响VLPs组装体稳定性及其免疫原性的主要因素有疏水性质和静电相互作用及糖基化水平等。疏水性对VLPs蛋白质结构的动态平衡和生物功能的发挥起关键作用，静电相互作用通过改变VLPs分子表面或内部的静电势能，影响VLPs衣壳内分子共价键的形成及其与外界环境的相互作用，糖基化修饰则利用自身修饰基团的生物学结构或其他功能性质影响整体VLPs颗粒的结构稳定性和免疫学功能。本文根据现阶段对VLPs的生产应用和结构的研究，综述了影响VLPs衣壳组装过程和组装体稳定性的主要因素，以及VLPs...     

口蹄疫病毒热驯化及生物学特性分析

口蹄疫（Foot and mouth disease, FMD）是一种全球性的、感染偶蹄动物的传染病。病毒衣壳对温度，pH敏感，容易在疫苗生产及储存过程中裂解为免疫原性较低的五聚体，影响疫苗的质量。口蹄疫病毒（Foot and mouth disease virus, FMDV）对热敏感的机制研究对于疫苗抗原稳定性意义重大。本文通过循环热应激驯化方式诱导基因突变向耐热性发展，经噬斑纯化获得了驯化毒株M3,M9和M10。通过多序列比对分析发现驯化毒株P1区发生氨基酸突变，一步生长曲线表明驯化毒株氨基酸突变基本不影响病毒的复制，而驯化毒株相比野生型毒株衣壳耐热性有显著提高。驯化毒株M10单一位点突变（A1013T）增强衣壳稳定性，表明A1013T位点对于O型FMDV毒株衣壳耐热性的重要性，但机制仍待后期进一步阐明。该研究将为制备耐热性的FMD疫苗提供了理论依据。     

嵌合型口蹄疫病毒样颗粒构建、表达及鉴定

为提高口蹄疫病毒(Foot-and-mouthdiseasevirus,FMDV)病毒样颗粒(Virus-likeparticles,VLPs)的特异性识别和递呈,为靶向疫苗研究奠定基础,利用反向PCR技术,将卵清蛋白(Ovalbumin,OVA)第257–264位氨基酸(Amino acids,aa)的短肽嵌入FMDV结构蛋白VP3第171–172位aa或第173–174位aa,通过大肠杆菌表达FMDV结构蛋白VP0、VP1和嵌合型VP3,体外组装得到嵌合OVA257-264肽的病毒样颗粒(VLPOVA)。用动态光散射、透射电镜检测VLPOVA大小和形态,免疫印迹、酶联免疫吸附试验和激光共聚焦显微镜检测短肽的嵌入情况。结果显示在VP3的第173–174位aa嵌入OVA,不影响蛋白表达和VLPs的组装且OVA位于VLPOVA的表面,VLPOVA粒径比VLPs稍大。     

A型塞内卡病毒的病毒样颗粒的制备及其免疫原性分析

为了研制A型塞内卡病毒 (Senecavirus A,SVA) 的病毒样颗粒 (Virus-like particles,VLPs) 疫苗,以SVA田间流行毒株CH-FJ-2017结构蛋白基因序列为研究对象,构建了能够同时表达SVA的3种结构蛋白VP0、VP1和VP3的单个原核重组表达质粒pET28a-SVA-VP031。通过大肠杆菌Escherichia coli表达、亲和层析纯化和体外自组装,获得SVA VLPs。透射电子显微镜鉴定显示,SVA的3种结构蛋白在体外能够自组装成直径约25–30 nm的VLPs,并且动物免疫试验结果表明,该VLPs能够有效刺激豚鼠产生高水平的抗原特异性中和抗体。上述研究结果为SVA VLPs疫苗的研制奠定了基础。     

口蹄疫病毒样颗粒诱导表达型载体的构建及其BHK-21细胞池的筛获

瞬时表达是目前利用哺乳动物细胞表达口蹄疫病毒(foot-and-mouth disease virus, FMDV)衣壳蛋白的主流方法。为实现染色体稳定表达FMDV衣壳蛋白并高效组装出病毒样颗粒(virus like particles, VLPs)，本研究构建了piggyBac (PB)转座-组成型表达、PB转座-四环素(tetracycline, Tet)诱导型表达两套质粒。利用荧光蛋白标记技术，验证了质粒的功能。通过抗生素筛选得到了组成型表达P12A3C (WT/L127P)基因的BHK-21细胞池(C-WT、C-L127P)和诱导型表达P12A3C (WT/L127P)基因的BHK-21细胞池(I-WT、I-L127P)。荧光观察和PCR检测证明了绿色荧光蛋白、3C蛋白酶、反向四环素转录激活因子等基因的稳定整合。Western blotting、酶联免疫吸附法(enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA)实验证明了细胞池I-L127P具有更强的衣壳蛋白和VLPs生产能力。本研究首次实现了哺乳动物细胞染色体诱导表达FMDV衣壳蛋白，有助于推动哺乳动物生产FMDV VLPs疫苗的技术工艺，也为构建其他蛋白的哺乳动物细胞诱导型表达系统提供了参考。     

口蹄疫病毒自身核酸片段对病毒样颗粒组装的促进作用

选取能够与口蹄疫病毒结构蛋白相互作用且有特殊结构的核酸片段5′非翻译区(5′UTR)和内部核糖体进入位点(Internal ribosome entry site,IRES)作为支架,进行病毒样颗粒组装的研究。通过对组装产物进行粒径、表面电位、凝胶阻滞、核酸酶消化、尺寸排阻色谱、透射电镜、圆二色光谱等检测,结果表明,核酸片段5′UTR和IRES能与口蹄疫病毒样颗粒共组装并形成病毒样颗粒。通过统计学分析发现VLPs-5′UTR的75S颗粒的组装效率显著高于单纯VLPs组(P0.001)和VLPs-IRES (P0.01),而VLPs-IRES的12S颗粒的组装效率显著高于单纯VLPs组(P0.000 1)和VLPs-5′UTR (P0.000 1),表明口蹄疫病毒自身核酸片段5′UTR更有利于口蹄疫病毒样颗粒的组装。该研究对促进口蹄疫病毒样颗粒组装提出了新的思路和优化策略,有助于病毒样颗粒疫苗的研发。     

Asia 1型口蹄疫病毒抗原表位突变株的构建及其生物学特性分析

为了研制口蹄疫抗原表位突变标记疫苗,本研究以含有Asia 1型口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)c DNA全长的感染性克隆p Asia 1-FMDV作为骨架,将3D蛋白中第27位氨基酸的H和31位的氨基酸N分别突变成Y和R,从而突变3D蛋白的一个抗原表位,将构建的带有突变表位的重组质粒转染BHK-21细胞,成功拯救出一株突变FMDV。经比较后发现,重组病毒的生物学特性与亲本毒株相似。病毒中和试验结果显示,抗重组病毒的血清与亲本病毒有良好的反应性。Western blotting结果表明重组病毒诱导的抗体能与突变的表位合成肽反应而不与野生型病毒的表位合成肽发生反应,从而区分重组病毒与亲本病毒。综上所述,这株抗原表位突变FMDV有望作为口蹄疫标记疫苗候株进一步评估。     

共表达口蹄疫病毒衣壳前体蛋白P1-2A基因和蛋白酶3C基因牛肾细胞株的筛选及稳定性

[目的]筛选稳定表达口蹄疫病毒衣壳蛋白的牛肾细胞(Madin-Darby bovinekidney,MDBK)株.[方法]采用聚合酶链式反应(Polymerase chain reaction,PCR)方法从重组质粒pMD-P1-2A和pMD-3C中分别扩增口蹄疫病毒衣壳前体蛋白P1-2A基因和蛋白酶3C基因,将两基因依次插入逆转录病毒载体pBABE-puro.重组逆转录病毒载体pBABE-puro/P1-2A-3C和pVSV-G质粒载体用脂质体介导共转染GP2-293包装细胞.产生的重组逆转录病毒感染MDBK细胞后使用嘌呤霉素筛选抗性细胞.利用克隆环套取法得到单克隆细胞.经间接免疫荧光和酶联免疫吸附测定(Enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay,ELISA)方法检测MDBK细胞中衣壳蛋白的表达,并在电镜下观察口蹄疫病毒空衣壳.[结果]成功筛选到稳定表达口蹄疫病毒衣壳蛋白的MDBK细胞株,衣壳前体蛋白P1-2A在蛋白酶3C裂解作用下正确组装成空衣壳.[结论]该研究为口蹄疫亚单位疫苗的研制提供了实验材料.     

兔出血症病毒VP60基因在昆虫细胞中形成病毒样颗粒及其特性

目的将兔出血症病毒（RHDV）VP60全长基因在昆虫细胞-杆状病毒系统中表达,验证重组蛋白形成病毒样颗粒（VLPs）的能力及其生物学特性,探讨VLPs作为检测抗原及亚单位疫苗的潜力。方法用Bac-to-Bac系统体外表达RHDVVP60全长基因。以免疫荧光及Western blotting检测蛋白表达情况及确定蛋白最佳表达条件;免疫电镜观察VLPs形态,并对VLPs的血凝性、免疫原性进行检测。结果SDS-PAGE电泳分析表明,表达的重组蛋白分子量大小约为68KDa,在免疫荧光、琼脂扩散、ELISA试验中均与RHD多克隆抗血清特异性反应;接种重组病毒的Sf9细胞裂解液在电镜下可观察到与RHDV形态相似的VLPs;该VLPs可凝集人“O”、“B”型红细胞,凝集可被RHD多克隆抗血清所抑制;含VLPs的Sf9细胞裂解液可不经纯化用作间接ELISA抗原,所建立的ELISA方法与进口商品化试剂盒相比,特异性良好,敏感性、检出率稍低;将含VLPs的细胞裂解液加氟氏佐剂免疫兔,HI效价可达1∶40,可经受致死量病毒攻击。结论RHDV-VLPs的获得及其良好的免疫原性,为RHD血清学检测试剂的标准化、亚单位疫苗研制应用奠定基础,同时在转移载体及RHDV受体方面研究亦有潜在应用价值。     

包膜病毒样颗粒疫苗研究进展

病毒样颗粒(VLPs)是指由病毒一个或几个结构蛋白自行组装成不含病毒基因组且不能复制、不具有感染能力的病毒样蛋白颗粒,形态结构上类似完整病毒,具有与完整病毒相似的免疫原性。VLPs可以分为两大类:无包膜VLPs和包膜VLPs,包膜VLPs被源于宿主细胞的脂质包膜包裹,包膜表面含有保护性抗原纤突。主要就包膜病毒样颗粒疫苗的结构、重组表达及免疫原性等方面的研究进展进行了综述。     

Mutation in the VP2 gene of P1-2A capsid protein increases the thermostability of virus-like particles of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an economically important, global disease of cloven-hoofed animals. The conventional vaccine could bring down the incidence of disease in many parts of the world but has many limitations and in India, the disease is enzootic. More promisingly, the alternate vaccine candidates, virus-like particles (VLPs) are as immunogenic as a native virus but are more labile to heat than the live virus capsids. To produce stable VLPs, a single amino acid residue was mutated at 93 and 98 positions at VP2 inter-pentamer region of the P1-2A gene of FMD virus serotype O (IND/R2/75). The mutated capsid protein was expressed in insect cells and characterized for temperature and varying pH stability. Out of S93Y, S93F, S93C, S93H, and Y98F mutant, VLPs, S93Y, S93F, and Y98F showed improved stability at 37 °C for 75 days compared to wild capsid, which was evaluated by sandwich ELISA. Further, the stability analysis of purified VLPs either by differential scanning fluorescence (DSF) stability assay at different temperatures and pH conditions or by dissociation kinetics showed that the Y98F mutant VLPs were more stable than S93Y, S93F, S93C, and S93H mutant and wild-type VLPs. Immunization of guinea pigs with Y98F VLPs induced neutralizing antibodies and 60% of the animals were protected from the FMDV “O” 100 GPID₅₀ challenge virus.

     

Single amino acid substitution of VP1 N17D or VP2 H145Y confers acid-resistant phenotype of type Asia1 foot-and-mouth disease virus

Infection by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is triggered by the acidic pH in endosomes after virus uptake by receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, dissociation of the FMDV 146S particle in mildly acidic conditions renders inactivated foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines much less effective. Type Asia1 FMDV mutants with increased resistance to acid inactivation were selected to study the molecular basis of viral resistance to acid-induced disassembly and improve the acid stability of FMDV. Sequencing of capsid-coding regions revealed four amino acid replacements (VP1 N17D, VP2 H145Y, VP2 G192D, and VP3 K153E) in the viral population of the acid-selected 10th passage. We performed single or combined mutagenesis using a reverse genetic system, and our results provide direct experimental evidence that VP2 H145Y or VP1 N17D substitution confers an acid-resistant phenotype to type Asia1 FMDV.     

Chimeric virus-like particles elicit protective immunity against serotype O foot-and-mouth disease virus in guinea pigs

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an acute and highly contagious disease caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) that can affect cloven-hoofed animal species, leading to severe economic losses worldwide. Therefore, the development of a safe and effective new vaccine to prevent and control FMD is both urgent and necessary. In this study, we developed a chimeric virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate for serotype O FMDV and evaluated its protective immunity in guinea pigs. Chimeric VLPs were formed by the antigenic structural protein VP1 from serotype O and segments of the viral capsid proteins (VP2, VP3, and VP4) from serotype A. The chimeric VLPs elicited significant humoral and cellular immune responses with a higher level of anti-FMDV antibodies and cytokines than the control group. Furthermore, four of the five guinea pigs vaccinated with the chimeric VLPs were completely protected against challenge with 100 50% guinea pig infectious doses (GPID₅₀) of the virulent FMDV strain O/MAY98. These data suggest that chimeric VLPs are potential candidates for the development of new vaccines against FMDV.     

Roles of disulfide linkage and calcium ion-mediated interactions in assembly and disassembly of virus-like particles composed of simian virus 40 VP1 capsid protein

The simian virus 40 capsid is composed of 72 pentamers of VP1 protein. Although the capsid is known to dissociate to pentamers in vitro following simultaneous treatment with reducing and chelating agents, the functional roles of disulfide linkage and calcium ion-mediated interactions are not clear. To elucidate the roles of these interactions, we introduced amino acid substitutions in VP1 at cysteine residues and at residues involved in calcium binding. We expressed the mutant proteins in a baculovirus system and analyzed both their assembly into virus-like particles (VLPs) in insect cells and the disassembly of those VLPs in vitro. We found that disulfide linkages at both Cys-9 and Cys-104 conferred resistance to proteinase K digestion on VLPs, although neither linkage was essential for the formation of VLPs in insect cells. In particular, reduction of the disulfide linkage at Cys-9 was found to be critical for VLP dissociation to VP1 pentamers in the absence of calcium ions, indicating that disulfide linkage at Cys-9 prevents VLP dissociation, probably by increasing the stability of calcium ion binding. We found that amino acid substitutions at carboxy-terminal calcium ion binding sites (Glu-329, Glu-330, and Asp-345) resulted in the frequent formation of unusual tubular particles as well as VLPs in insect cells, indicating that these residues affect the accuracy of capsid assembly. In addition, unexpectedly, amino acid substitutions at any of the calcium ion binding sites tested, especially at Glu-157, resulted in increased stability of VLPs in the absence of calcium ions in vitro. These results suggest that appropriate affinities of calcium ion binding are responsible for both assembly and disassembly of the capsid.     

Production of FMDV virus-like particles by a SUMO fusion protein approach in Escherichia coli

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are formed by the self-assembly of envelope and/or capsid proteins from many viruses. Some VLPs have been proven successful as vaccines, and others have recently found applications as carriers for foreign antigens or as scaffolds in nanoparticle biotechnology. However, production of VLP was usually impeded due to low water-solubility of recombinant virus capsid proteins. Previous studies revealed that virus capsid and envelope proteins were often posttranslationally modified by SUMO in vivo, leading into a hypothesis that SUMO modification might be a common mechanism for virus proteins to retain water-solubility or prevent improper self-aggregation before virus assembly. We then propose a simple approach to produce VLPs of viruses, e.g., foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). An improved SUMO fusion protein system we developed recently was applied to the simultaneous expression of three capsid proteins of FMDV in E. coli. The three SUMO fusion proteins formed a stable heterotrimeric complex. Proteolytic removal of SUMO moieties from the ternary complexes resulted in VLPs with size and shape resembling the authentic FMDV. The method described here can also apply to produce capsid/envelope protein complexes or VLPs of other disease-causing viruses.     

The pH stability of foot-and-mouth disease virus

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This review summarized the molecular determinants of the acid stability of FMDV in order to explore the uncoating mechanism of FMDV and improve the acid stability of vaccines.

Background

The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid is highly acid labile and tends to dissociate into pentameric subunits at acidic condition to release viral RNA for initiating virus replication. However, the acid stability of virus capsid is greatly required for the maintenance of intact virion during the process of virus culture and vaccine production. The conflict between the acid lability in vivo and acid stability in vitro of FMDV capsid promotes the selection of a series of amino acid substitutions which can confer resistance to acid-induced FMDV inactivation. In order to explore the uncoating activity of FMDV and enhance the acid stability of vaccines, we summarized the available works about the pH stability of FMDV.

Main body of the abstract

In this review, we analyzed the intrinsic reasons for the acid instability of FMDV from the structural and functional aspects. We also listed all substitutions obtained by different research methods and showed them in the partial capsid of FMDV. We found that a quadrangle region in the viral capsid was the place where a great many pH-sensitive residues were distributed. As the uncoating event of FMDV is dependent on the pH-sensitive amino acid residues in the capsid, this most pH-sensitive position indicates a potential candidate location for RNA delivery triggered by the acid-induced coat disassociation.

Short conclusion

This review provided an overview of the pH stability of FMDV. The study of pH stability of FMDV not only contributes to the exploration of molecule and mechanism information for FMDV uncoating, but also enlightens the development of FMDV vaccines, including the traditionally inactivated vaccines and the new VLP (virus-like particle) vaccines.

     

Receptor binding site-deleted foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus protects cattle from FMD.

Binding of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) to cells requires an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence in the capsid protein VP1. We have genetically engineered an FMDV in which these three amino acids have been deleted, producing a virus particle which is unable to bind to cells. Cattle vaccinated with these receptor binding site-deleted virions were protected from disease when challenged with a virulent virus, demonstrating that these RGD-deleted viruses could serve as the basis for foot-and-mouth disease vaccines safer than those currently in use. This strategy may prove useful in the development of vaccines for other viral diseases.     

A large-scale evaluation of peptide vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease: lack of solid protection in cattle and isolation of escape mutants.

A large-scale vaccination experiment involving a total of 138 cattle was carried out to evaluate the potential of synthetic peptides as vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease. Four types of peptides representing sequences of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) C3 Argentina 85 were tested: A, which includes the G-H loop of capsid protein VP1 (site A); AT, in which a T-cell epitope has been added to site A; AC, composed of site A and the carboxy-terminal region of VP1 (site C); and ACT, in which the three previous capsid motifs are colinearly represented. Induction of neutralizing antibodies, lymphoproliferation in response to viral antigens, and protection against challenge with homologous infectious virus were examined. None of the tested peptides, at several doses and vaccination schedules, afforded protection above 40%. Protection showed limited correlation with serum neutralization activity and lymphoproliferation in response to whole virus. In 12 of 29 lesions from vaccinated cattle that were challenged with homologous virus, mutant FMDVs with amino acid substitutions at antigenic site A were identified. This finding suggests the rapid generation and selection of FMDV antigenic variants in vivo. In contrast with previous studies, this large-scale vaccination experiment with an important FMDV host reveals considerable difficulties for vaccines based on synthetic peptides to achieve the required levels of efficacy. Possible modifications of the vaccine formulations to increase protective activity are discussed.     

Antibody Response in Mice Inoculated with DNA Expressing Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Capsid Proteins

Candidate foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) DNA vaccines designed to produce viral capsids lacking infectious viral nucleic acid were evaluated. Plasmid DNAs containing a portion of the FMDV genome coding for the capsid precursor protein (P1-2A) and wild-type or mutant viral proteinase 3C (plasmids P12X3C or P12X3C-mut, respectively) were constructed. Cell-free translation reactions programmed with pP12X3C (wild-type 3C) and pP12X3C-mut produced a capsid precursor, but only the reactions programmed with the plasmid encoding the functional proteinase resulted in P1-2A processing and capsid formation. Baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells also produced viral capsid proteins when transfected with these plasmids. Plasmid P12X3C was administered to mice by intramuscular, intradermal, and epithelial (gene gun) inoculations. Anti-FMD virus (FMDV) antibodies were detected by radioimmunoprecipitation (RIP) and plaque reduction neutralization assays only in sera of mice inoculated by using a gene gun. When pP12X3C and pP12X3C-mut were inoculated into mice by using a gene gun, both plasmids elicited an antibody response detectable by RIP but only pP12X3C elicited a neutralizing antibody response. These results suggest that capsid formation in situ is required for effective immunization. Expression and stimulation of an immune response was enhanced by addition of an intron sequence upstream of the coding region, while addition of the FMDV internal ribosome entry site or leader proteinase (L) coding region either had no effect or reduced the immune response.