Synthesis and assembly of dengue virus envelope protein fused to cholera toxin B subunit into biologically active oligomers in transgenic tomato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum lycopersicum</Emphasis>)

Dengue is the fastest growing mosquito-borne disease worldwide, causing nearly 400 million infections annually. A universally applicable dengue virus vaccine is required to arrest its spread. Here, we generated an edible dengue vaccine by expressing the dengue fusion protein in tomatoes, which is a desirable expression system owing to the inherent adjuvanticity of alpha tomatine and immunogenicity of the tomato lectin/microbial antigen complex. The B subunit of Vibrio cholera toxin (CTB) was genetically fused to dengue envelope antigen for improved delivery to antigen-presenting cells and enhanced immunogenicity, while avoiding immunological tolerance. We utilized domain III of the dengue envelope protein (EDIII), as it has been shown to induce serotype-specific neutralizing antibodies. The CTB–EDIII fusion gene construct containing an endoplasmic reticulum target sequence was introduced into tomato plants by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated gene transformation, and the expression of CTB–EDIII in transgenic plants was confirmed by DNA, RNA and protein analyses. Accumulated fusion protein accounted for up to 0.015 % of total soluble protein, and it assembled into fully functional pentamers as demonstrated by binding to GM1 ganglioside. Future work will involve testing of transgenic tomatoes for immunogenicity in mice following oral delivery.     

Synthesis and assembly of a cholera toxin B subunit-rotavirus VP7 fusion protein in transgenic potato

A gene encoding VP7, the outer capsid protein of simian rotavirus SA11, was fused to the carboxyl terminus of the cholera toxin B subunit gene. A plant expression vector containing the fusion gene under control of the mannopine synthase P₂ promoter was introduced into Solanum tuberosum cells by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The CTB::VP7 fusion gene was detected in the genomic DNA of transformed potato leaf cells by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification methods. Immunoblot analysis of transformed potato tuber tissue extracts showed that synthesis and assembly of the CTB::VP7 fusion protein into oligomers of pentameric size occurred in the transformed plant cells. The binding of CTB::VP7 fusion protein pentamers to sialo-sugar containing GM1 ganglioside receptors on the intestinal epithelial cell membrane was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA results showed that the CTB::VP7 fusion protein made up approx 0.01% of the total soluble tuber protein. Synthesis and assembly of CTB::VP7 monomers into biologically active pentamers in transformed potato tubers demonstrates the feasibility of using edible plants as a mucosal vaccine for the production and delivery system for rotavirus capsid protein antigens.     

幽门螺杆菌多价表位疫苗CWAE的表达及其免疫学性质的研究 *

目的 利用生物信息学软件评价幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori)多价表位疫苗CWAE的抗原结构,经原核表达获得高纯度CWAE蛋白,进而鉴定多价表位疫苗CWAE的免疫学性质。方法 通过生物信息学软件分析H. pylori多价表位疫苗CWAE的抗原结构;用人工合成的H. pylori多价表位肽融合基因WAE替换重组质粒pET28a-CUE中的UE基因,构建重组质粒pET28a-CWAE。然后,将pET28a-CWAE转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,经IPTG诱导表达,并通过Ni-NTP镍离子亲和层析纯化抗原蛋白CWAE;利用GM1-ELISA鉴定CWAE中CTB组分的黏膜免疫佐剂活性。最后,通过ELISA和小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞增殖实验检测CWAE激发BALB/c小鼠产生抗H. pylori抗体体液免疫和淋巴细胞免疫应答的能力。结果 通过生物信息学软件证实H. pylori多价表位疫苗CWAE具有科学合理的结构;重组表达质粒pET28a-CWAE经PCR、双酶切和基因测序鉴定,融合基因CWAE与设计序列完全一致;重组基因工程菌株pET28a-CWAE/BL21(DE3)经IPTG诱导表达,抗原蛋白CWAE主要以包涵体形式存在,经Ni-NTP镍离子亲和层析纯化,纯度约达93.2%;GM1-ELISA实验证实,CWAE中CTB组分依旧保持有较好的黏膜佐剂活性;ELISA结果证实CWAE能够激发BALB/c小鼠产生H. pylori特异性抗体,而小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞增殖实验进一步证实CWAE能够激发针对H. pylori多种致病因子的淋巴细胞免疫反应。结论 H. pylori多价表位疫苗CWAE具有科学合理的抗原结构,经原核表达可获得高纯度抗原蛋白,能够激发BALB/c小鼠产生H. pylori特异性抗体体液免疫和淋巴细胞免疫应答。为研发防治H. pylori感染的多价表位疫苗奠定实验基础。     

Expression of Cholera Toxin B Subunit in Transgenic Rice Endosperm

The synthetic cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) gene, modified according to the optimized codon usage of plant genes, was introduced into a plant expression vector and expressed under the control of the Bx17 HMW (high molecular weight) wheat endosperm-specific promoter containing an intron of the rice act1. The recombinant vector was transformed into rice plants using a biolistic-mediated transformation method. Stable integration of the synthetic CTB gene into the chromosomal DNA was confirmed by PCR amplification analysis. A high level of CTB (2.1% of total soluble protein) was expressed in the endosperm tissue of the transgenic rice plants. The synthetic CTB produced only in the rice endosperm demonstrated strong affinity for G_M1-ganglioside, thereby suggesting that the CTB subunits formed an active pentamer. The successful expression of CTB genes in transgenic plants makes it a powerful tool for the development of a plant-derived edible vaccine.     

A Single Immunization with MVA Expressing GnGc Glycoproteins Promotes Epitope-specific CD8+-T Cell Activation and Protects Immune-competent Mice against a Lethal RVFV Infection

Background

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen causing an important disease in ruminants often transmitted to humans after epizootic outbreaks in African and Arabian countries. To help combat the spread of the disease, prophylactic measures need to be developed and/or improved.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this work, we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of recombinant plasmid DNA and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (rMVA) vectored vaccines against Rift Valley fever in mice. These recombinant vaccines encoded either of two components of the Rift Valley fever virus: the viral glycoproteins (Gn/Gc) or the nucleoprotein (N). Following lethal challenge with live RVFV, mice immunized with a single dose of the rMVA-Gn/Gc vaccine showed no viraemia or clinical manifestation of disease, but mounted RVFV neutralizing antibodies and glycoprotein specific CD8+ T-cell responses. Neither DNA-Gn/Gc alone nor a heterologous prime-boost immunization schedule (DNA-Gn/Gc followed by rMVAGn/Gc) was better than the single rMVA-Gn/Gc immunization schedule with regards to protective efficacy. However, the rMVA-Gn/Gc vaccine failed to protect IFNAR^−/− mice upon lethal RVFV challenge suggesting a role for innate responses in protection against RVFV. Despite induction of high titer antibodies against the RVFV nucleoprotein, the rMVA-N vaccine, whether in homologous or heterologous prime-boost schedules with the corresponding recombinant DNA vaccine, only conferred partial protection to RVFV challenge.

Conclusions/Significance

Given the excellent safety profile of rMVA based vaccines in humans and animals, our data supports further development of rMVA-Gn/Gc as a vaccine strategy that can be used for the prevention of Rift Valley fever in both humans and livestock.     

CTB/CS3融合蛋白与GM1结合能力和免疫原性的分析

免疫霍乱毒素B亚单位（CTB）或肠毒素大肠杆菌（ETEC）定居因子CS3可使人体对ETEC的侵染有保护作用.为探索研制ETEC双组分亚单位疫苗的可行性,利用大肠杆菌诱导表达系统表达了CTB与CS3的融合蛋白（CTB/CS3）.蛋白质印迹结果表明,诱导表达的29 ku蛋白具有CTB和CS3蛋白双重抗原性.经Ni-NTA亲和层析纯化获得重组蛋白CTB/CS3,复性的重组蛋白可以部分形成五聚体并保留了与神经节苷脂GM1的结合能力.动物实验表明,融合蛋白CTB/CS3具有CTB和CS3蛋白的双重免疫原性,同时,CTB的免疫载体作用提高了CS3的免疫强度.     

Acid-Activated Structural Reorganization of the Rift Valley Fever Virus Gc Fusion Protein

The entry of the enveloped Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) into its host cell is mediated by the viral glycoproteins Gn and Gc. We investigated the RVFV entry process and, in particular, its pH-dependent activation mechanism using our recently developed nonspreading-RVFV-particle system. Entry of the virus into the host cell was efficiently inhibited by lysosomotropic agents that prevent endosomal acidification and by compounds that interfere with dynamin- and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Exposure of plasma membrane-bound virions to an acidic pH (<pH 6) equivalent to the pH of late endolysosomal compartments allowed the virus to bypass the endosomal route of infection. Acid exposure of virions in the absence of target membranes triggered the class II-like Gc fusion protein to form extremely stable oligomers that were resistant to SDS and temperature dissociation and concomitantly compromised virus infectivity. By targeted mutagenesis of conserved histidines in Gn and Gc, we demonstrated that mutation of a single histidine (H857) in Gc completely abrogated virus entry, as well as acid-induced Gc oligomerization. In conclusion, our data suggest that after endocytic uptake, RVFV traffics to the acidic late endolysosomal compartments, where histidine protonation drives the reorganization of the Gc fusion protein that leads to membrane fusion.     

SARS亚基疫苗-突刺蛋白受体结合区RBD在烟草叶绿体中的高效表达

叶绿体表达系统为植物源重组药用蛋白和亚基疫苗的生产提供了一个有效的途径。为验证SARS亚基疫苗在叶绿体中表达的可行性,以及为植物源SARS亚基疫苗的生产提供一套高效、低成本的技术平台,本研究将人工优化合成的SARS-CoV突刺蛋白(S蛋白)受体结合区序列RBD与载体分子CTB融合基因导入烟草叶绿体基因组中。PCR和Southern杂交分析表明,外源融合基因已整合到烟草叶绿体基因组中,并获得同质化。Western杂交分析表明,重组融合蛋白CTB-RBD在叶绿体转基因烟草中获得表达,且主要以可溶性单体形式存在。ELISA分析表明,在不同生长阶段、不同生长部位和不同时间点烟草叶片中,重组融合蛋白CTB-RBD的表达水平呈现明显的变化。重组蛋白在成熟叶片中的表达水平最高可以达到10.2%TSP。本研究通过SARS亚基疫苗RBD在烟草叶绿体中的高效表达,有望为植物源SARS亚基疫苗的生产以及SARS血清抗体的检测提供一个有效的技术平台。     

乙肝PreS_2抗原决定簇和霍乱毒素B亚基基因的融合与表达

本研究通过全化学法按大肠杆菌密码偏性合成了HBV PreS_2抗原决定簇基因,与ctxB基因的3’端融合。重组质粒转化大肠杆菌后融合基因得到高效表达,表达量达30μg/ml,表达产物95％以上分泌到胞外。表达的融合蛋白能与神经节苷脂GM1结合,说明融合蛋白保持了CTB的基本高级结构和生物学功能;ELISA实验证明融合蛋白具有CTB和HBV PreS_2的抗原性;应用亲和层析纯化后得到了电泳纯融合蛋白制品,为研究融合蛋白的免疫原性并进一步构建基因工程肽苗奠定了基础。     

霍乱毒素B亚基融合蛋白表达系统的构建

霍乱毒素Ｂ亚基（ＣＴＢ）是良好的免疫佐剂和载体蛋白。本研究通过定点突变,在ＣＴＢ基因（ｃｔｘＢ）３′端终止密码前引入了限制性内切酶ＥｃｏＲＩ,构建了质粒ｐＭＣ０５。ｐＭＣ０５中ＣＴＢ与下游ｌａｃＺ′基因阅读框架相同,转化大肠杆菌后能够表达ＣＴＢ与β－半乳糖苷酶α肽的融合蛋白;所表达的融合蛋白能与ＧＭ１结合,说明融合蛋白保持ＣＴＢ的基本高级结构和生物学活性;融合蛋白能与抗－ＣＴＢ抗体结合,说明融合蛋白具有ＣＴＢ的抗原性。以上结果表明：通过将外源抗原决定簇基因融合至ｃｔｘＢ的３′端,在大肠杆菌中表达融合蛋白,构建基因工程肽苗是可行的。还探索了转录终止序列对融合基因蛋白表达水平的影响,构建了高效表达融合蛋白的载体－宿主系统。     

Towards a safe, effective vaccine for Rift Valley fever virus

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an important animal and human threat and leads to longstanding morbidity and mortality in susceptible hosts. Since no therapies currently exist to treat Rift Valley fever, it remains a public and animal health priority to develop safe, effective RVFV vaccines (whether for animals, humans, or both) that provide long-term protective immunity. In the evaluated article, Bhardwaj and colleagues describe the creation and testing of two successful vaccine strategies against RVFV, a DNA plasmid vaccine expressing Gn coupled to C3d, and an alpha-virus replicon vaccine expressing Gn protein. Both vaccines elicited strong neutralizing antibody responses, prevented morbidity and mortality in RVFV-challenged mice, and enabled protection of naive mice via passive antibody transfer from vaccinated mice. Both DNA and replicon RVFV vaccines have previously been shown to protect against RVFV challenge, but these results allow for direct comparison of the two methods and evaluation of a combined prime-boost method. The results also highlight the specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to vaccination.     

Vaccination with DNA Plasmids Expressing Gn Coupled to C3d or Alphavirus Replicons Expressing Gn Protects Mice against Rift Valley Fever Virus

Background

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an arthropod-borne viral zoonosis. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an important biological threat with the potential to spread to new susceptible areas. In addition, it is a potential biowarfare agent.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We developed two potential vaccines, DNA plasmids and alphavirus replicons, expressing the Gn glycoprotein of RVFV alone or fused to three copies of complement protein, C3d. Each vaccine was administered to mice in an all DNA, all replicon, or a DNA prime/replicon boost strategy and both the humoral and cellular responses were assessed. DNA plasmids expressing Gn-C3d and alphavirus replicons expressing Gn elicited high titer neutralizing antibodies that were similar to titers elicited by the live-attenuated MP12 virus. Mice vaccinated with an inactivated form of MP12 did elicit high titer antibodies, but these antibodies were unable to neutralize RVFV infection. However, only vaccine strategies incorporating alphavirus replicons elicited cellular responses to Gn. Both vaccines strategies completely prevented weight loss and morbidity and protected against lethal RVFV challenge. Passive transfer of antisera from vaccinated mice into naïve mice showed that both DNA plasmids expressing Gn-C3d and alphavirus replicons expressing Gn elicited antibodies that protected mice as well as sera from mice immunized with MP12.

Conclusion/Significance

These results show that both DNA plasmids expressing Gn-C3d and alphavirus replicons expressing Gn administered alone or in a DNA prime/replicon boost strategy are effective RVFV vaccines. These vaccine strategies provide safer alternatives to using live-attenuated RVFV vaccines for human use.     

Rapid transient expression of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) in Nicotiana benthamiana

Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) has the potential to be an effective adjuvant for mucosal vaccines because of its ability to increase antigen uptake and presentation by antigen-presenting cells through GM1-ganglioside binding. CTB has been produced using different recombinant protein expression systems. This study used the geminiviral replicon system to transiently express CTB in Nicotiana benthamiana. The plant-optimized CTB gene was cloned into a geminiviral vector and infiltrated into N. benthamiana leaves. The highest CTB protein level was observed on day 4 with approximately 4 μg/g fresh weight. The Western blot analysis using anti-CTB suggests assembly of CTB into oligomers. Based on the GM1-ELISA results, this CTB transiently expressed in plants showed biological activity for binding the intestinal epithelial cell membrane glycolipid receptor, GM1-glanglioside, which implies its potential as an adjuvant for mucosal vaccines.     

Expression of cholera toxin B subunit–lumbrokinase in edible sunflower seeds–the use of transmucosal carrier to enhance its fusion protein's effect on protection of rats and mice against thrombosis

Lumbrokinase (LK) is a group of serine proteases with strong fibrinolytic and thrombolytic activities and is useful for treating diseases caused by thrombus. Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) has been widely used to facilitate antigen delivery by serving as an effective mucosal carrier molecule for the induction of oral tolerance. We investigate here the application of CTB as a transmucosal carrier in enhancing its fusion protein‐LKs effect to protect rats against thrombosis. Thus, in this study, CTB‐LK fusion gene separated by a furin cleavage site was expressed in seeds of Helianthus annuus L. The activity of recombinant protein in seeds of transgenic sunflower was confirmed by Western blot analysis, fibrin plate assays and G_M1‐ganglioside ELISA. The thrombosis model of rats and mice revealed that the oral administration of peeled seeds of sunflower expressing CTB‐LK had a more significant anti‐thrombotic effect on animals compared with that administration of peeled seeds of sunflower expressing LK. It is possible to conclude that CTB can successfully enhance its fusion protein to be absorbed in rats or mice thrombosis model. The use of CTB as a transmucosal carrier in the delivery of transgenic plant‐derived oral therapeutic proteins was supported. In addition, for the purpose of that recombinant CTB‐LK was designed for oral administration, thus the expression of CTB‐LK in edible sunflower seeds eliminated the need for downstream processing of proteins. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:1029–1039, 2014     

Creation of a recombinant Rift Valley fever virus with a two-segmented genome

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; family Bunyaviridae) is a clinically important, mosquito-borne pathogen of both livestock and humans, which is found mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. RVFV has a trisegmented single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome. The L and M segments are negative sense and encode the L protein (viral polymerase) on the L segment and the virion glycoproteins Gn and Gc as well as two other proteins, NSm and 78K, on the M segment. The S segment uses an ambisense coding strategy to express the nucleocapsid protein, N, and the nonstructural protein, NSs. Both the NSs and NSm proteins are dispensable for virus growth in tissue culture. Using reverse genetics, we generated a recombinant virus, designated r2segMP12, containing a two-segmented genome in which the NSs coding sequence was replaced with that for the Gn and Gc precursor. Thus, r2segMP12 lacks an M segment, and although it was attenuated in comparison to the three-segmented parental virus in both mammalian and insect cell cultures, it was genetically stable over multiple passages. We further show that the virus can stably maintain an M-like RNA segment encoding the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene. The implications of these findings for RVFV genome packaging and the potential to develop multivalent live-attenuated vaccines are discussed.     

肠毒素性大肠杆菌CS6菌毛抗原与霍乱毒素B亚基在痢疾菌中的表达及其免疫学效果

构建了携带asd、霍乱毒素B亚基(CTB)基因的表达质粒pYX201,与福氏2a痢疾菌T32的△asd突变株FaD构成宿主质粒平衡致死系统,用于在没有抗生素选择压力的情况下,稳定表达CTB抗原基因。以此为基础,构建了单独表达肠毒素性大肠杆菌CS26菌毛抗原基因的重组质粒pYX202,以及同时表达CS6和CTB的共表达质粒pYX203。Western blotting和ELISA检测结果证实CS6及CTB在痢疾菌FaD中可以有效表达。重组菌免疫家兔后可诱生相应的血清抗体,特别是CTB的抗体效价较高,并持续较长时间。本研究为细菌性腹泻疫苗的研究提供了候选株。     

Thermostable tag (TST) protein expression system: engineering thermotolerant recombinant proteins and vaccines

Methods to increase temperature stability of vaccines and adjuvants are needed to reduce dependence on cold chain storage. We report herein creation and application of pVEX expression vectors to improve vaccine and adjuvant manufacture and thermostability. Defined media fermentation yields of 6 g/L thermostable toll-like receptor 5 agonist flagellin were obtained using an IPTG inducible pVEX-flagellin expression vector. Alternative pVEX vectors encoding Pyrococcus furiosus maltodextrin-binding protein (pfMBP) as a fusion partner improved Influenza hemagglutinin antigen vaccine solubility and thermostability. A pfMBP hemagglutinin HA2 domain fusion protein was a potent immunogen. Manufacturing processes that combined up to 5 g/L defined media fermentation yields with rapid, selective, thermostable pfMBP fusion protein purification were developed. The pVEX pfMBP-based thermostable tag (TST) platform is a generic protein engineering approach to enable high yield manufacture of thermostable recombinant protein vaccine components.     

Effect of immunization with a recombinant cholera toxin B subunit/somatostatin fusion protein on immune response and growth hormone levels in mice

Somatostatin (SS) is a hormone that inhibits growth hormone secretion. Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) is a widely used adjuvant to improve the immunogenicity of co-administrated antigen. To block the growth hormone-inhibiting effect of SS, a fusion gene of CTB and SS was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified CTB/SS fusion protein polymerized into a biologically active pentamer required for CTB binding to the GM1 ganglioside receptor. Immunization with the CTB/SS protein induced specific immunity against CTB and SS in mice. The serum growth hormone of the CTB/SS-treated mice increased by 29?% (P?<?0.05) compared with the control. The results indicated that the CTB/SS fusion protein was effective in inducing immune response against SS as well as elevating the growth hormone level.     

马传染性贫血弱毒疫苗株核衣壳蛋白基因的表达与鉴定

从感染驴白细胞的马传染性贫血弱毒疫苗株前病毒DNA中克隆了编码核衣壳蛋白 (pll)的基因 ,在大肠杆菌中得到了表达 ,而表达的蛋白是一种可溶性的融合蛋白 ,其氨基端带有 6个组氨酸的标签 ,因此可以用固定化金属离子亲和层析法在非变性条件下进行纯化。经间接ELISA和免疫印迹试验检测 ,这种表达的融合蛋白可与马传贫阳性血清样品发生反应 ,而与健康马血清无任何反应 ,显示其具有良好的抗原性和特异性 ,可用于马传贫弱毒疫苗株在体内外复制及在接种马体内免疫应答的研究。     

染色体整合系统在多价疫苗构建中的应用研究

通过同源重组将编码异源抗原的DNA整合到减毒的鼠伤寒沙门氏菌的染色体上,获得了表达霍乱毒素B亚单位（CTB）的双价活疫苗候选株。该系统包括两个步骤：首先将GisOG缺失突变的DNA片段整合进鼠伤寒沙门氏菌疫苗候选株SL3261的染色体上,得到His营养缺陷型。然后,用带有CTB抗原基因的完整HisOGDNA片段置换HisOG缺失的DNA片段,获得表达CTB的His回复的SL3261菌株（命名为TT201）。Southern杂交证明,TT201菌株的染色体带有CTB抗原基因。Westernblot分析表明,TT201菌株能表达CTB,且具有很好的稳定性。用重组菌株口服免疫接种小鼠,能够激发抗CTB抗体的产生。TT201菌株是一种潜在的双价疫苗候选株。