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Chaudhary S, Ali Z, Mahfouz M. Molecular farming for sustainable production of clinical-grade antimicrobial peptides. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:2282-2300. [PMID: 38685599 PMCID: PMC11258990 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are emerging as next-generation therapeutics due to their broad-spectrum activity against drug-resistant bacterial strains and their ability to eradicate biofilms, modulate immune responses, exert anti-inflammatory effects and improve disease management. They are produced through solid-phase peptide synthesis or in bacterial or yeast cells. Molecular farming, i.e. the production of biologics in plants, offers a low-cost, non-toxic, scalable and simple alternative platform to produce AMPs at a sustainable cost. In this review, we discuss the advantages of molecular farming for producing clinical-grade AMPs, advances in expression and purification systems and the cost advantage for industrial-scale production. We further review how 'green' production is filling the sustainability gap, streamlining patent and regulatory approvals and enabling successful clinical translations that demonstrate the future potential of AMPs produced by molecular farming. Finally, we discuss the regulatory challenges that need to be addressed to fully realize the potential of molecular farming-based AMP production for therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Chaudhary
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences4700 King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Zahir Ali
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences4700 King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Magdy Mahfouz
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences4700 King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
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Catalán-Tatjer D, Tzimou K, Nielsen LK, Lavado-García J. Unravelling the essential elements for recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) production in animal cell-based platforms. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108370. [PMID: 38692443 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) stand at the forefront of gene therapy applications, holding immense significance for their safe and efficient gene delivery capabilities. The constantly increasing and unmet demand for rAAVs underscores the need for a more comprehensive understanding of AAV biology and its impact on rAAV production. In this literature review, we delved into AAV biology and rAAV manufacturing bioprocesses, unravelling the functions and essentiality of proteins involved in rAAV production. We discuss the interconnections between these proteins and how they affect the choice of rAAV production platform. By addressing existing inconsistencies, literature gaps and limitations, this review aims to define a minimal set of genes that are essential for rAAV production, providing the potential to advance rAAV biomanufacturing, with a focus on minimizing the genetic load within rAAV-producing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Catalán-Tatjer
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Konstantina Tzimou
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Lars K Nielsen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark; Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Jesús Lavado-García
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark.
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Dinh Thiem V, Van Anh PT, Van Men C, Hung DT, Pollard AJ, Kamitani A, Tada Y, Fukuyama H, Iwasaki Y, Ariyasu M, Sonoyama T. A SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein vaccine (S-268019-b) for COVID-19 prevention during the Omicron-dominant period: A phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Vaccine 2024; 42:3699-3709. [PMID: 38734495 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.04.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Clinical trials of new vaccines based on existing variants of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are often impacted by the emergence of new virus variants. We evaluated the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of S-268019-b, a recombinant spike protein subunit vaccine based on the ancestral strain, for preventing symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the Omicron (BA.2)-dominant period in Vietnam. In this multicentre, phase 3, randomised (2:1), observer-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, participants received 2 intramuscular doses (28 days apart) of either 10 µg of S-268019-b (Recombinant S-protein vaccine) or placebo. The primary endpoint was incidence of laboratory-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 before crossover, with onset within 14 days following the second dose, in participants who were seronegative and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-negative at baseline. The secondary endpoints included immunogenicity and safety. In total, 8,594 participants were randomised (S-268019-b [n = 5,727]; placebo [n = 2,867]). Vaccine efficacy versus placebo was 39·1 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]:26·6-49·5; one-sided P = 0·0723). The incidence rate (95 % CI) of symptomatic COVID-19 was 776·41/1,000 person-years (682·04-880·19) in the S-268019-b group and 1272·87/1,000 person-years (1101·32-1463·57) in the placebo group. The geometric mean titres (95 % CI) of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody increased on Day 57 versus baseline with S-268019-b (34·66 [27·04-44·41] versus 2·50 (non-estimable) but not with placebo. There were no safety concerns regarding S-268019-b. S-268019-b did not demonstrate the targeted efficacy threshold against symptomatic COVID-19; however, findings were comparable with other prophylactic vaccines based on ancestor strain during the Omicron-dominant period. S-268019-b demonstrated immunogenicity and was well-tolerated. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05212948.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- COVID-19 Vaccines/immunology
- COVID-19 Vaccines/administration & dosage
- COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects
- COVID-19/prevention & control
- COVID-19/immunology
- Male
- Female
- Adult
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- SARS-CoV-2/genetics
- Middle Aged
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Synthetic/adverse effects
- Vietnam
- Young Adult
- Immunogenicity, Vaccine
- Cross-Over Studies
- Adolescent
- Vaccine Efficacy
- Aged
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Vaccines, Subunit
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Affiliation(s)
- Vu Dinh Thiem
- Centre for Clinical Trials, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | | | - Chu Van Men
- Viet Nam Military Medical University, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | - Do Thai Hung
- Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Viet Nam
| | - Andrew J Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
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Toth M, Reithofer M, Dutra G, Pereira Aguilar P, Dürauer A, Grabherr R. Comprehensive Comparison of Baculoviral and Plasmid Gene Delivery in Mammalian Cells. Viruses 2024; 16:426. [PMID: 38543791 PMCID: PMC10974095 DOI: 10.3390/v16030426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Recombinant protein production in mammalian cells is either based on transient transfection processes, often inefficient and underlying high batch-to-batch variability, or on laborious generation of stable cell lines. Alternatively, BacMam, a transduction process using the baculovirus, can be employed. (2) Six transfecting agents were compared to baculovirus transduction in terms of transient and stable protein expression characteristics of the model protein ACE2-eGFP using HEK293-6E, CHO-K1, and Vero cell lines. Furthermore, process optimization such as expression enhancement using sodium butyrate and TSA or baculovirus purification was assessed. (3) Baculovirus transduction efficiency was superior to all transfection agents for all cell lines. Transduced protein expression was moderate, but an 18-fold expression increase was achieved using the enhancer sodium butyrate. Ultracentrifugation of baculovirus from a 3.5 L bioreactor significantly improved the transduction efficiency and protein expression. Stable cell lines were obtained with each baculovirus transduction, yet stable cell line generation after transfection was highly unreliable. (4) This study demonstrated the superiority of the BacMam platform to standard transfections. The baculovirus efficiently transduced an array of cell lines both transiently and stably and achieved the highest efficiency for all tested cell lines. The feasibility of the scale-up of baculovirus production was demonstrated and the possibility of baculovirus purification was successfully explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Toth
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1190 Vienna, AT, Austria
| | - Manuel Reithofer
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1190 Vienna, AT, Austria
| | - Gregory Dutra
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB), 1190 Vienna, AT, Austria
| | | | - Astrid Dürauer
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1190 Vienna, AT, Austria
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1190 Vienna, AT, Austria
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5
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Zhang W, Wang H, Wu T, Gao X, Shang Y, Zhang Z, Liu X, Li Y. A SARS-CoV-2 Nanobody Displayed on the Surface of Human Ferritin with High Neutralization Activity. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:2429-2440. [PMID: 38476285 PMCID: PMC10929646 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s450829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose COVID-19 is rampant throughout the world, which has caused great damage to human lives and seriously hindered the development of the global economy. Aiming at the treatment of SARS-CoV-2, in this study, we proposed a novel fenobody strategy based on ferritin (Fe) self-assembly technology. Methods The neutralizing nanobody H11-D4 of SARS-CoV-2 fused to the C-terminus of end-modified human ferritin was expressed in E. coli and silkworm baculovirus expression systems. A large number of nanoparticles were successfully self-assembled in silkworms, while relatively few nanoparticles can be observed in the treated products from E. coli by electron microscopy. Subsequently, the fenobody's expression level and neutralizing activity were then evaluated. Results The results showed that the IC50 of H11-D4 and fenobody Fe-H11-D4 expressed in E. coli were 171.1 nmol L-1 and 20.87 nmol L-1, respectively. However, the IC50 of Fe-HD11-D4 expressed in silkworms was 1.46 nmol L-1 showing better neutralization activity. Conclusion Therefore, fenobodies can be well self-assembled in silkworm baculovirus expression system, and ferritin self-assembly technology can effectively improve nanobody neutralization activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenrong Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haining Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tong Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xintao Gao
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuting Shang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhifang Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingjian Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yinü Li
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Podadera A, Campo L, Rehman F, Kolobaric N, Zutic A, Ng KKS. Optimized Recombinant Expression and Purification of the SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase Complex. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1007. [PMID: 38511495 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
An optimized protocol has been developed to express and purify the core RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) complex from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The expression and purification of active core SARS-CoV-2 RdRp complex is challenging due to the complex multidomain fold of nsp12, and the assembly of the multimeric complex involving nsp7, nsp8, and nsp12. Our approach adapts a previously published method to express the core SARS-CoV-2 RdRP complex in Escherichia coli and combines it with a procedure to express the nsp12 fusion with maltose-binding protein in insect cells to promote the efficient assembly and purification of an enzymatically active core polymerase complex. The resulting method provides a reliable platform to produce milligram amounts of the polymerase complex with the expected 1:2:1 stoichiometry for nsp7, nsp8, and nsp12, respectively, following the removal of all affinity tags. This approach addresses some of the limitations of previously reported methods to provide a reliable source of the active polymerase complex for structure, function, and inhibition studies of the SARS-CoV-2 RdRP complex using recombinant plasmid constructs that have been deposited in the widely accessible Addgene repository. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Expression and production of SARS-CoV-2 nsp7, nsp8, and nsp12 in E. coli cells Support Protocol: Establishment and maintenance of insect cell cultures Basic Protocol 2: Generation of recombinant baculovirus in Sf9 cells and production of nsp12 fusion protein in T. ni cells Basic Protocol 3: Purification of the SARS-CoV-2 core polymerase complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Podadera
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lucas Campo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fasih Rehman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nikola Kolobaric
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adriana Zutic
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kenneth K-S Ng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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Eckerstorfer MF, Dolezel M, Miklau M, Greiter A, Heissenberger A, Engelhard M. Scanning the Horizon for Environmental Applications of Genetically Modified Viruses Reveals Challenges for Their Environmental Risk Assessment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1507. [PMID: 38338787 PMCID: PMC10855828 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The release of novel genetically modified (GM) virus applications into the environment for agricultural, veterinary, and nature-conservation purposes poses a number of significant challenges for risk assessors and regulatory authorities. Continuous efforts to scan the horizon for emerging applications are needed to gain an overview of new GM virus applications. In addition, appropriate approaches for risk assessment and management have to be developed. These approaches need to address pertinent challenges, in particular with regard to the environmental release of GM virus applications with a high probability for transmission and spreading, including transboundary movements and a high potential to result in adverse environmental effects. However, the current preparedness at the EU and international level to assess such GM virus application is limited. This study addresses some of the challenges associated with the current situation, firstly, by conducting a horizon scan to identify emerging GM virus applications with relevance for the environment. Secondly, outstanding issues regarding the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of GM virus applications are identified based on an evaluation of case study examples. Specifically, the limited scientific information available for the ERA of some applications and the lack of detailed and appropriate guidance for ERA are discussed. Furthermore, considerations are provided for future work that is needed to establish adequate risk assessment and management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Eckerstorfer
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Marion Dolezel
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Marianne Miklau
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Anita Greiter
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Andreas Heissenberger
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Margret Engelhard
- Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Division Assessment Synthetic Biology, Enforcement Genetic Engineering Act, Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany;
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Luo N, Chen X, Li J, Huynh D, Li Y, Ou L, Liu S. Evaluation of recombinant baculovirus clearance during rAAV production in Sf9 cells using a newly developed fluorescent-TCID 50 assay. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1302648. [PMID: 38318248 PMCID: PMC10839039 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1302648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors provide a safe and efficient means for in vivo gene delivery, although its large-scale production remains challenging. Featuring high manufacturing speed, flexible product design, and inherent safety and scalability, the baculovirus/Sf9 cell system offers a practical solution to the production of rAAV vectors in large quantities and high purity. Nonetheless, removal and inactivation of recombinant baculoviruses during downstream purification of rAAV vectors remain critical prior to clinical application. Methods The present study utilized a newly developed fluorescent-TCID50 (F-TCID50) assay to determine the infectious titer of recombinant baculovirus (rBV) stock after baculovirus removal and inactivation, and to evaluate the impact of various reagents and solutions on rBV infectivity. Results and discussion The results showed that a combination of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Triton X-100 lysis, AAVx affinity chromatography, low pH hold (pH3.0), CsCl ultracentrifugation, and NFR filtration led to effective removal and/or inactivation of recombinant baculoviruses, and achieved a log reduction value (LRV) of more than 18.9 for the entire AAV purification process. In summary, this study establishes a standard protocol for downstream baculovirus removal and inactivation and a reliable F-TCID50 assay to detect rBV infectivity, which can be widely applied in AAV manufacturing using the baculovirus system.
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Pekovic F, Wahle E. In Vitro Reconstitution of the Drosophila melanogaster CCR4-NOT Complex to Assay Deadenylation. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2723:19-45. [PMID: 37824062 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3481-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The CCR4-NOT complex is a multi-subunit poly(A)-specific 3' exoribonuclease that catalyzes the deadenylation of mRNA. In this chapter, we describe procedures to express and purify recombinant Drosophila melanogaster CCR4-NOT. Furthermore, we provide protocols for preparing radioactively labeled RNA substrates and conducting in vitro deadenylation assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Pekovic
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology and Charles Tanford Protein Center, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA.
| | - Elmar Wahle
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology and Charles Tanford Protein Center, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
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Joshi PRH, Venereo-Sanchez A. Functional Baculovirus Particle Quantification via Plaque Assay. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2829:259-265. [PMID: 38951341 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3961-0_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Plaque assay method enables the quantification of infectious baculovirus when defined as plaque forming units (PFU). It allows to determine the amount of infectious virus needed to infect the cells at a specific multiplicity of infection (MOI). Serial dilutions of baculovirus stock are added to the Sf9 cells monolayer followed by addition of 5% Agarose overlay. Six days after infection clear infection halos are observed using a neutral red solution. Here we describe the quantification of recombinant baculovirus expression vector (rBEV) carrying a transgene in an rAAV expression cassette. Reproducible quantification of PFU is obtained with this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav R H Joshi
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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11
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Liu X, Gennerich A. Insect Cell-Based Expression of Cytoskeletal Motor Proteins for Single-Molecule Studies. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2694:69-90. [PMID: 37824000 PMCID: PMC10880877 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3377-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Cytoskeletal motor proteins are essential molecular machines that hydrolyze ATP to generate force and motion along cytoskeletal filaments. Members of the dynein and kinesin superfamilies play critical roles in transporting biological payloads (such as proteins, organelles, and vesicles) along microtubule pathways, cause the beating of flagella and cilia, and act within the mitotic and meiotic spindles to segregate replicated chromosomes to progeny cells. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and behaviors of motor proteins is critical to provide better strategies for the treatment of motor protein-related diseases. Here, we provide detailed protocols for the recombinant expression of the Kinesin-1 motor KIF5C using a baculovirus/insect cell system and provide updated protocols for performing single-molecule studies using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and optical tweezers to study the motility and force generation of the purified motor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglei Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Arne Gennerich
- Department of Biochemistry and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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12
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Chubet RG. Purification Process for a Secreted Protein Produced in Insect Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2829:247-255. [PMID: 38951340 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3961-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS) is used with cultured insect cells to produce a wide variety of heterologous proteins, which can be secreted into the culture medium during the transient infection process (Smith et al. Mol Cell Biol 12:2156-2165, 1983). When the infection process is complete, centrifugation is often used to separate the desired protein from the spent insect cells. The desired product in the harvested supernatant is contaminated with baculovirus, amino acids, lipids, detergents, oils, lysed cells from the infection process, genomic DNA from the insect cells, and proteases due to the lytic nature of the baculovirus infection process and many other contaminants (Ikonomou et al. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 62:1-20, 2003). All these contaminants that are present in the centrifuged supernatant with the desired secreted protein make the initial chromatographic capture step critical for effective purification of the desired protein. A purification scheme will be outlined for a slightly acidic secreted protein using cation exchange chromatography (Lundanes et al. Chromatography: basic principles, sample preparations and related methods, 1st edn. Wiley, 2013).
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Rangarajan S, von Berg G, Allen H, Mitchell C. Protein Production at the 100L Scale. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2829:195-202. [PMID: 38951335 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3961-0_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS) has revolutionized the field of recombinant protein expression by enabling efficient and high yield production. The platform offers many advantages including manufacturing speed, flexible design, and scalability. In this chapter, we describe the methods including strategies and considerations to successfully optimize and scale-up using BEVS as a tool for production (Fig. 1). As an illustrative case study, we present an example focused on the production of a viral glycoprotein.
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14
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Yovcheva M, Thompson KW. Optimized Workflow from Gene to Product. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2829:49-66. [PMID: 38951326 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3961-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
This chapter outlines the workflow using the ExpiSf™ Expression System designed for high-density infection of suspension ExpiSf9™ cells. The system utilizes a chemically defined, serum-free, protein-free, and animal origin free medium, making it suitable for recombinant protein expression experiments. The ExpiSf™ chemically defined medium allows efficient transfection and baculovirus production directly within the same culture medium. The ExpiSf™ Expression System Starter Kit provides all necessary components, including cells, culture medium, and reagents needed to infect one (1) liter of cell culture. The system's versatility and animal origin free nature make it a valuable tool for various protein expression studies and biotechnological applications.
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15
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Atwa AS, Gomaa L, Elmenofy W, Amer HM, Ahmed BM. Expression of recombinant Florida clade 2 hemagglutinin in baculovirus expression system: A step for subunit vaccine development against H3N8 equine influenza virus. Open Vet J 2024; 14:350-359. [PMID: 38633177 PMCID: PMC11018420 DOI: 10.5455/ovj.2024.v14.i1.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Equine influenza (EI) is a transmissible viral respiratory sickness of the Equidae family. Two viruses, H7N7 and H3N8 caused EI; however, H7N7 has not been detected for decades. H3N8 has circulated and bifurcated into Eurasian and American lineages. The latter subsequently diversified into Kentucky, South America, and Florida sub-lineages. Florida clade 1 (FC1) and Florida clade 2 (FC2) strains are the only circulating EI viruses (EIVs) in the meantime. Immunization is considered the major means for the prevention and control of EI infection. Using disparate technologies and platforms, several vaccines have been developed and commercialized. According to the recommendations of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), all commercial vaccines shall comprise representatives of both FC1 and FC2 strains. Unfortunately, most of the commercially available vaccines were not updated to incorporate a representative of FC2 strains. Aim The purpose of this research was to develop a new EI vaccine candidate that incorporates the hemagglutinin (HA) antigen from the currently circulating FC2. Methods In this study, we report the expression of the full-length recombinant HA gene of FC2 in the baculovirus expression system. Results The HA recombinant protein has been proven to maintain its biological characteristics by hemadsorption (HAD) and hemagglutination tests. Moreover, using a reference-specific serum, the specificity of the HA has been confirmed through the implementation of immunoperoxidase and western immunoblotting assays. Conclusion In conclusion, we report the expression of specific biologically active recombinant HA of FC2, which would act as a foundation for the generation of an updated EI subunit or virus vector vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed S. Atwa
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Lamis Gomaa
- Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | - Wael Elmenofy
- Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
- Department of Arid Land Agriculture, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haitham M. Amer
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Basem M. Ahmed
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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16
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Chauhan S, Khasa YP. Challenges and Opportunities in the Process Development of Chimeric Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1828. [PMID: 38140232 PMCID: PMC10747103 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccines are integral to human life to protect them from life-threatening diseases. However, conventional vaccines often suffer limitations like inefficiency, safety concerns, unavailability for non-culturable microbes, and genetic variability among pathogens. Chimeric vaccines combine multiple antigen-encoding genes of similar or different microbial strains to protect against hyper-evolving drug-resistant pathogens. The outbreaks of dreadful diseases have led researchers to develop economical chimeric vaccines that can cater to a large population in a shorter time. The process development begins with computationally aided omics-based approaches to design chimeric vaccines. Furthermore, developing these vaccines requires optimizing upstream and downstream processes for mass production at an industrial scale. Owing to the complex structures and complicated bioprocessing of evolving pathogens, various high-throughput process technologies have come up with added advantages. Recent advancements in high-throughput tools, process analytical technology (PAT), quality-by-design (QbD), design of experiments (DoE), modeling and simulations, single-use technology, and integrated continuous bioprocessing have made scalable production more convenient and economical. The paradigm shift to innovative strategies requires significant attention to deal with major health threats at the global scale. This review outlines the challenges and emerging avenues in the bioprocess development of chimeric vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yogender Pal Khasa
- Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi 110021, India;
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17
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Sharma S, Mahadevan J, Giri L, Mitra K. Identification of optimal flow rate for culture media, cell density, and oxygen toward maximization of virus production in a fed-batch baculovirus-insect cell system. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:3529-3542. [PMID: 37749905 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
In recent times, it has been realized that novel vaccines are required to combat emerging disease outbreaks, and faster optimization is required to respond to global vaccine demands. Although, fed-batch operations offer better productivity, experiment-based optimization of a new fed-batch process remains expensive and time-consuming. In this context, we propose a novel computational framework that can be used for process optimization and control of a fed-batch baculovirus-insect cell system. Since the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is known to be widely used platforms for recombinant protein/vaccine production, we chose this system to demonstrate the identification of optimal profile. Toward this, first, we constructed a mathematical model that captures the time course of cell and virus growth in a baculovirus-insect cell system. Second, the proposed model was used for numerical analysis to determine the optimal operating profiles of control variables such as culture media, cell density, and oxygen based on a multiobjective optimal control formulation. Third, a detailed comparison between batch and fed-batch culture was perfromed along with a comparison between various alternatives of fed-batch operation. Finally, we demonstrate that a model-based quantification of controlled feed addition in fed-batch culture is capable of providing better productivity as compared to a batch culture. The proposed framework can be utilized for the estimation of optimal operating regions of different control variables to achieve maximum infected cell density and virus yield while minimizing the substrate/media, uninfected cell, and oxygen consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Sharma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Jagadeesh Mahadevan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Lopamudra Giri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Kishalay Mitra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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18
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Kuijpers L, van Veen E, van der Pol LA, Dekker NH. Automated cell counting for Trypan blue-stained cell cultures using machine learning. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291625. [PMID: 38015925 PMCID: PMC10684072 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell counting is a vital practice in the maintenance and manipulation of cell cultures. It is a crucial aspect of assessing cell viability and determining proliferation rates, which are integral to maintaining the health and functionality of a culture. Additionally, it is critical for establishing the time of infection in bioreactors and monitoring cell culture response to targeted infection over time. However, when cell counting is performed manually, the time involved can become substantial, particularly when multiple cultures need to be handled in parallel. Automated cell counters, which enable significant time reduction, are commercially available but remain relatively expensive. Here, we present a machine learning (ML) model based on YOLOv4 that is able to perform cell counts with a high accuracy (>95%) for Trypan blue-stained insect cells. Images of two distinctly different cell lines, Trichoplusia ni (High FiveTM; Hi5 cells) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9), were used for training, validation, and testing of the model. The ML model yielded F1 scores of 0.97 and 0.96 for alive and dead cells, respectively, which represents a substantially improved performance over that of other cell counters. Furthermore, the ML model is versatile, as an F1 score of 0.96 was also obtained on images of Trypan blue-stained human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells that the model had not been trained on. Our implementation of the ML model comes with a straightforward user interface and can image in batches, which makes it highly suitable for the evaluation of multiple parallel cultures (e.g. in Design of Experiments). Overall, this approach for accurate classification of cells provides a fast, bias-free alternative to manual counting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Kuijpers
- Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- Intravacc B.V., Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Edo van Veen
- Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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19
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Nguyen C, Ibe-Enwo A, Slack J. A Baculovirus Expression Vector Derived Entirely from Non-Templated, Chemically Synthesized DNA Parts. Viruses 2023; 15:1981. [PMID: 37896759 PMCID: PMC10612064 DOI: 10.3390/v15101981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Baculovirus expression system1s are a widely used tool in recombinant protein and biologics production. To enable the possibility of genome modifications unconstrained through low-throughput and bespoke classical genome manipulation techniques, we set out to construct a baculovirus vector (>130 kb dsDNA) built from modular, chemically synthesized DNA parts. We constructed a synthetic version of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) through two steps of hierarchical Golden Gate assembly. Over 140 restriction endonuclease sites were removed to enable the discrimination of the synthetic genome from native baculovirus genomes. A head-to-head comparison of our modular, synthetic AcMNPV genome with native baculovirus vectors showed no significant difference in baculovirus growth kinetics or recombinant adeno-associated virus production-suggesting that neither baculovirus replication nor very-late gene expression were compromised by our design or assembly method. With unprecedented control over the AcMNPV genome at the single-nucleotide level, we hope to ambitiously explore novel AcMNPV vectors streamlined for biologics production and development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda Ibe-Enwo
- Voyager Therapeutics, 64 Sidney St., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA;
| | - Jeffrey Slack
- Voyager Therapeutics, 64 Sidney St., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA;
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20
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Setyo Utomo DI, Suhaimi H, Muhammad Azami NA, Azmi F, Mohd Amin MCI, Xu J. An Overview of Recent Developments in the Application of Antigen Displaying Vaccine Platforms: Hints for Future SARS-CoV-2 VLP Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1506. [PMID: 37766182 PMCID: PMC10536610 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, a great effort has been devoted to studying attenuated and subunit vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2 since its outbreak in December 2019. It is known that diverse virus-like particles (VLPs) are extensively employed as carriers to display various antigenic and immunostimulatory cargo modules for vaccine development. Single or multiple antigens or antigenic domains such as the spike or nucleocapsid protein or their variants from SARS-CoV-2 could also be incorporated into VLPs via either a genetic or chemical display approach. Such antigen display platforms would help screen safer and more effective vaccine candidates capable of generating a strong immune response with or without adjuvant. This review aims to provide valuable insights for the future development of SARS-CoV-2 VLP vaccines by summarizing the latest updates and perspectives on the vaccine development of VLP platforms for genetic and chemical displaying antigens from SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doddy Irawan Setyo Utomo
- Research Center for Vaccine and Drug, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Gedung 611, LAPTIAB, KST Habibie, Serpong, Tangerang Selatan 15314, Indonesia;
| | - Hamizah Suhaimi
- Centre of Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (H.S.); (F.A.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
| | - Nor Azila Muhammad Azami
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia;
| | - Fazren Azmi
- Centre of Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (H.S.); (F.A.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
| | - Mohd Cairul Iqbal Mohd Amin
- Centre of Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (H.S.); (F.A.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
| | - Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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21
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Asher D, Dai D, Klimchak AC, Sedita LE, Gooch KL, Rodino-Klapac L. Paving the way for future gene therapies: A case study of scientific spillover from delandistrogene moxeparvovec. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 30:474-483. [PMID: 37674905 PMCID: PMC10477757 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapies have potential to improve outcomes of severe diseases after only a single administration. Novel therapies are continually being developed using knowledge gained from prior successes, a concept known as scientific spillover. Gene therapy advancement requires extensive development at each stage: preclinical work to create and evaluate vehicles for delivery of the therapy, design of clinical development programs, and establishment of a large-scale manufacturing process. Pioneering gene therapies are generating spillover as investigators confront myriad issues specific to this treatment modality. These include frameworks for construct engineering, dose evaluation, patient selection, outcome assessment, and safety monitoring. Consequently, the benefits of these therapies extend beyond offering knowledge for treating any one disease to establishing new platforms and paradigms that will accelerate advancement of future gene therapies. This impact is even more profound in rare diseases, where developing therapies in isolation may not be possible. This review describes some instances of scientific spillover in healthcare, and specifically gene therapy, using delandistrogene moxeparvovec (SRP-9001), a gene therapy recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ambulatory pediatric patients aged 4-5 years with Duchenne muscular dystrophy with a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene, as a case study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon Asher
- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Daisy Dai
- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alexa C. Klimchak
- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Lauren E. Sedita
- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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22
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Rehfeld JS, Kuhnke LM, Ude C, John GT, Beutel S. Investigation and evaluation of a 3D-printed optical modified cultivation vessel for improved scattered light measurement of biotechnologically relevant organisms. Eng Life Sci 2023; 23:e2300204. [PMID: 37664010 PMCID: PMC10472911 DOI: 10.1002/elsc.202300204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In the field of bioprocess development miniaturization, parallelization and flexibility play a key role reducing costs and time. To precisely meet these requirements, additive manufacturing (3D-printing) is an ideal technology. 3D-printing enables rapid prototyping and cost-effective fabrication of individually designed devices with complex geometries on demand. For successful bioprocess development, monitoring of process-relevant parameters, such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and biomass, is crucial. Online monitoring is preferred as offline sampling is time-consuming and leads to loss of information. In this study, 3D-printed cultivation vessels with optical prisms are evaluated for the use in upstream processes of different industrially relevant microorganisms and cell lines. It was shown, that the 3D-printed optically modified well (OMW) is of benefit for a wide range of biotechnologically relevant microorganisms and even for mammalian suspension cells. Evaluation tests with Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were performed, providing highly reproducible results. Growth behavior of OMW cultures was comparable to behavior of shake flask (SF) cultivations and the signal to noise ratio in online biomass measurement was shown to be reduced up to 95.8% by using the OMW. Especially the cultivation phases with low turbidity respective optical densities below 1.0 rel.AU could be monitored accurately for the first time. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the 3D-printed optics are transferable to different well geometries and sizes, enabling efficient biomass monitoring for individual requirements with tailor-made 3D-printed cultivation vessels in small scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna S. Rehfeld
- Institute of Technical ChemistryLeibniz University HannoverHannoverGermany
| | - Louis M. Kuhnke
- Institute of Technical ChemistryLeibniz University HannoverHannoverGermany
| | | | | | - Sascha Beutel
- Institute of Technical ChemistryLeibniz University HannoverHannoverGermany
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23
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Alenton RRR, Mai HN, Dhar AK. Engineering a replication-incompetent viral vector for the delivery of therapeutic RNA in crustaceans. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad278. [PMID: 37693213 PMCID: PMC10485883 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Viral disease pandemics are a major cause of economic losses in crustacean farming worldwide. While RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics have shown promise at a laboratory scale, without an effective oral delivery platform, RNA-based therapy will not reach its potential against controlling viral diseases in crustaceans. Using a reverse-engineered shrimp RNA virus, Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV), we have developed a shrimp viral vector for delivering an engineered RNA cargo. By replacing the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) protein-coding region of MrNV with a cargo RNA encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a proof-of-concept, we generated a replication-incompetent mutant MrNV(ΔRdRp) carrying the GFP RNA cargo resulting in MrNV(ΔRdRp)-GFP. Upon incorporating MrNV(ΔRdRp)-GFP in the diet of the marine Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), MrNV(ΔRdRp) particles were visualized in hemocytes demonstrating successful vector internalization. Fluorescence imaging of hemocytes showed the expression of GFP protein and the MrNV capsid RNA (RNA2) as well as the incorporated GFP RNA cargo. Detection of cargo RNA in hepatopancreas and pleopods indicated the systemic spread of the viral vector. The quantitative load of both the MrNV RNA2 and GFP RNA progressively diminished within 8 days postadministration of the viral vector, which indicated a lack of MrNV(ΔRdRp)-GFP replication in shrimp. In addition, no pathological hallmarks of the wild-type MrNV infection were detected using histopathology in the target tissue of treated shrimp. The data unequivocally demonstrated the successful engineering of a replication-incompetent viral vector for RNA delivery, paving the way for the oral delivery of antiviral therapeutics in farmed crustaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rod Russel R Alenton
- Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Hung N Mai
- Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Arun K Dhar
- Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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24
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Asensio-Cob D, Rodríguez JM, Luque D. Rotavirus Particle Disassembly and Assembly In Vivo and In Vitro. Viruses 2023; 15:1750. [PMID: 37632092 PMCID: PMC10458742 DOI: 10.3390/v15081750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Rotaviruses (RVs) are non-enveloped multilayered dsRNA viruses that are major etiologic agents of diarrheal disease in humans and in the young in a large number of animal species. The viral particle is composed of three different protein layers that enclose the segmented dsRNA genome and the transcriptional complexes. Each layer defines a unique subparticle that is associated with a different phase of the replication cycle. Thus, while single- and double-layered particles are associated with the intracellular processes of selective packaging, genome replication, and transcription, the viral machinery necessary for entry is located in the third layer. This modular nature of its particle allows rotaviruses to control its replication cycle by the disassembly and assembly of its structural proteins. In this review, we examine the significant advances in structural, molecular, and cellular RV biology that have contributed during the last few years to illuminating the intricate details of the RV particle disassembly and assembly processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunia Asensio-Cob
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G0A4, Canada;
| | - Javier M. Rodríguez
- Department of Structure of Macromolecules, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Luque
- Electron Microscopy Unit UCCT/ISCIII, 28220 Majadahonda, Spain
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Electron Microscope Unit, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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25
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Menghini MT, Geisler C, Maghodia AB, Hallam HJ, Denton SL, Gigley JP, Jarvis DL. Host ranges of Sf-rhabdoviruses harbored by lepidopteran insects and insect cell lines. Virology 2023; 585:164-178. [PMID: 37348145 PMCID: PMC10528406 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Cell lines derived from Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf), which are the most widely used hosts in the baculovirus-insect cell system, are contaminated with Sf-rhabdoviruses (Sf-RVs). In this study, we identified a closely related virus (Sf-CAT-RV) in the caterpillar species used to isolate the original Sf cell line. We then evaluated the Sf-RV and Sf-CAT-RV host ranges, found Sf-CAT-RV could infect Vero cells, and obtained results suggesting both variants can infect mouse ear fibroblasts. In addition, we found both variants could establish pantropic infections in severely immunocompromised (RAG2/IL2RG-/-) mice. However, both variants were cleared by two weeks post-inoculation and neither produced any symptoms or obvious adverse outcomes in these hosts. We conclude the caterpillars used to isolate Sf21 cells were the most likely source of the Sf-RV contaminant, Sf-RVs and their Sf-CAT-RV progenitor have broader host ranges than expected from previous work, but neither variant poses a serious threat to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark T Menghini
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Steven L Denton
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jason P Gigley
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Donald L Jarvis
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; GlycoBac, LLC, Laramie, WY, USA.
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26
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Hausjell CS, Klausberger M, Ernst W, Grabherr R. Evaluation of an inducible knockout system in insect cells based on co-infection and CRISPR/Cas9. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289178. [PMID: 37498808 PMCID: PMC10374150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to comparably high product titers and low production costs, the baculovirus/insect cell expression system is considered a versatile production platform in the biopharmaceutical industry. Its excellence in producing complex multimeric protein assemblies, including virus-like particles (VLPs), which are considered promising vaccine candidates to counter emerging viral threats, made the system even more attractive. However, the co-formation of budded baculovirus during VLP production poses a severe challenge to downstream processing. In order to reduce the amount of budded baculovirus in the expression supernatant we developed an inducible knockout system based on CRISPR/Cas9 and co-infection with two baculoviral vectors: one bringing along the Cas9 nuclease and the other one having incorporated the sequence for sgRNA expression. With our set-up high titer viruses can be generated separately, as only when both viruses infect cells simultaneously a knockout can occur. When budding essential genes gp64 and vp80 were targeted for knockout, we measured a reduction in baculovirus titer by over 90%. However, as a consequence, we also determined lower overall eYFP fluorescence intensity showing reduced recombinant protein production, indicating that further improvements in engineering as well as purification are required in order to ultimately minimize costs and timeframes for vaccine production utilizing the baculovirus/insect cell expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Sophie Hausjell
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Klausberger
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Ernst
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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27
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Hong Q, Liu J, Wei Y, Wei X. Application of Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS) in Vaccine Development. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1218. [PMID: 37515034 PMCID: PMC10386281 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is one of the most effective strategies to control epidemics. With the deepening of people's awareness of vaccination, there is a high demand for vaccination. Hence, a flexible, rapid, and cost-effective vaccine platform is urgently needed. The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) has emerged as a promising technology for vaccine production due to its high safety, rapid production, flexible product design, and scalability. In this review, we introduced the development history of BEVS and the procedures for preparing recombinant protein vaccines using the BEVS platform and summarized the features and limitations of this platform. Furthermore, we highlighted the progress of the BEVS platform-related research, especially in the field of vaccine. Finally, we provided a new prospect for BEVS in future vaccine manufacturing, which may pave the way for future BEVS-derived vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaonan Hong
- Department of Biotherapy, Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Department of Biotherapy, Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Department of Biotherapy, Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, China
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28
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Ni Z, Yun T, Chen L, Ye W, Hua J, Zhu Y, Liu G, Zhang C. Study on the Protective Immunity Induced by Pseudotyped Baculovirus Expressing the E Protein of Tembusu Virus in Ducklings. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1316. [PMID: 37510221 PMCID: PMC10378915 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV), a pathogenic flavivirus, has been causing significant economic losses in the Chinese poultry industry since 2010. This virus can severely decrease egg production and inhibit the growth of laying ducks and ducklings. While many vaccines have been developed to prevent DTMUV infection, fresh outbreaks continue to occur, as few effective vaccines are available. The E glycoprotein of DTMUV is the primary target for inducing protective immunity in the natural host. Therefore, we conducted an investigation and successfully developed a recombinant baculovirus containing the DTMUV E gene. Ducklings were then vaccinated with the purified protein derived from this virus as a potential vaccine candidate. Our findings demonstrated that the E glycoprotein of DTMUV was highly expressed in Sf9 cells. The vaccination of ducklings with the recombinant baculovirus Bac-E resulted in the induction of strong humoral and cellular immune responses. Most significantly, we observed that the vaccine provided 100% protective immunity against lethal challenges with the DTMUV YY5 strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Ni
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Tao Yun
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Liu Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Weicheng Ye
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Jionggang Hua
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Yinchu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Guangqing Liu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy at Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Cun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
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29
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Razavi-Nikoo H, Behboudi E, Aghcheli B, Hashemi SMA, Moradi A. Bac to Bac System Efficiency for Preparing HPV Type 16 Virus-Like Particle Vaccine. ARCHIVES OF RAZI INSTITUTE 2023; 78:997-1003. [PMID: 38028838 PMCID: PMC10657962 DOI: 10.22092/ari.2023.361975.2708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Today, the human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 protein is the main target in the construction of prophylactic HPV vaccines. The production of virus-like particles (VLPs) that closely resemble the natural structure of the HPV16 virus and induce high levels of virus-neutralizing antibodies in animals and humans is facilitated by the expression of HPV16-L1 protein in eukaryotic cells. The Bac-to-Bac system has been previously used to produce high levels of recombinant proteins. In this study, we utilized this expression system to generate HPV16-L1 VLPs in Spodoptra frugipedra (Sf9) insect cells. The wild-type L1 gene of papillomavirus type 16 was selected from Gene Bank and placed in bacmid structure after codon optimization using pFast Bac vector. The recombinant baculovirus containing HPV-16/L1 gene was then provided using the Bac-to-Bac system. It should be mentioned that the vector was transfected into the Sf9 cell. The cells were then lysed and the expression of L1 protein was revealed by SDS-PAGE and confirmed by Western Blot. The L1 purification was performed through Ni-NTA chromatography. The VLP formation of papillomavirus L1 protein was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The expressed recombinant L1 was ~60 KD on SDS-PAGE which was identified in western blot by a specific anti-L1 monoclonal antibody. The electron microscopy confirmed the assembly of VLPs. Results of this study showed that the production of this protein at the industrial level can be optimized using a baculovirus/Sf9 system. The characteristics and advantages of this system are promising and it is a suitable candidate for protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Razavi-Nikoo
- Department of Microbiology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - E Behboudi
- Department of Basic Sciences, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran
| | - B Aghcheli
- Department of Microbiology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - S M A Hashemi
- Department of Microbiology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - A Moradi
- Department of Microbiology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
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30
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Bruder MR, Aucoin MG. A sensitive assay for scrutiny of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus genes using CRISPR-Cas9. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s00253-023-12462-y. [PMID: 37233755 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12462-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Baculoviruses have very large genomes and previous studies have demonstrated improvements in recombinant protein production and genome stability through the removal of some nonessential sequences. However, recombinant baculovirus expression vectors (rBEVs) in widespread use remain virtually unmodified. Traditional approaches for generating knockout viruses (KOVs) require several experimental steps to remove the target gene prior to the generation of the virus. In order to optimize rBEV genomes by removing nonessential sequences, more efficient techniques for establishing and evaluating KOVs are required. Here, we have developed a sensitive assay utilizing CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene targeting to examine the phenotypic impact of disruption of endogenous Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) genes. For validation, 13 AcMNPV genes were targeted for disruption and evaluated for the production of GFP and progeny virus - traits that are essential for their use as vectors for recombinant protein production. The assay involves transfection of sgRNA into a Cas9-expressing Sf9 cell line followed by infection with a baculovirus vector carrying the gfp gene under the p10 or p6.9 promoters. This assay represents an efficient strategy for scrutinizing AcMNPV gene function through targeted disruption, and represents a valuable tool for developing an optimized rBEV genome. KEY POINTS: [Formula: see text] A method to scrutinize the essentiality of baculovirus genes was developed. [Formula: see text] The method uses Sf9-Cas9 cells, a targeting plasmid carrying a sgRNA, and a rBEV-GFP. [Formula: see text] The method allows scrutiny by only needing to modify the targeting sgRNA plasmid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Bruder
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc G Aucoin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada.
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31
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Verdonckt TW, Bilsen A, Van Nieuwerburgh F, De Troij L, Santos D, Vanden Broeck J. Identification and Profiling of a Novel Bombyx mori latent virus Variant Acutely Infecting Helicoverpa armigera and Trichoplusia ni. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051183. [PMID: 37243270 DOI: 10.3390/v15051183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Insect cell expression systems are increasingly being used in the medical industry to develop vaccines against diseases such as COVID-19. However, viral infections are common in these systems, making it necessary to thoroughly characterize the viruses present. One such virus is Bombyx mori latent virus (BmLV), which is known to be specific to Bombyx mori and to have low pathogenicity. However, there has been little research on the tropism and virulence of BmLV. In this study, we examined the genomic diversity of BmLV and identified a variant that persistently infects Trichoplusia ni-derived High Five cells. We also assessed the pathogenicity of this variant and its effects on host responses using both in vivo and in vitro systems. Our results showed that this BmLV variant causes acute infections with strong cytopathic effects in both systems. Furthermore, we characterized the RNAi-based immune response in the T. ni cell line and in Helicoverpa armigera animals by assessing the regulation of RNAi-related genes and profiling the generated viral small RNAs. Overall, our findings shed light on the prevalence and infectious properties of BmLV. We also discuss the potential impact of virus genomic diversity on experimental outcomes, which can help interpret past and future research results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas-Wolf Verdonckt
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anton Bilsen
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Loes De Troij
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dulce Santos
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jozef Vanden Broeck
- Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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32
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Vormittag P, Wolff MW. Editorial: Advances in bioprocessing of viral vectors and virus-like particles. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1166430. [PMID: 36998809 PMCID: PMC10043472 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1166430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael W. Wolff
- Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen (THM), Giessen, Germany
- Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Giessen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Michael W. Wolff,
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33
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He C, Chen L, Yang J, Chen Z, Lei H, Hong W, Song X, Yang L, Li J, Wang W, Shen G, Lu G, Wei X. Trimeric protein vaccine based on Beta variant elicits robust immune response against BA.4/5-included SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2023; 4:9. [PMID: 36894743 PMCID: PMC9998262 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-023-00121-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, induced by newly emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variants, posed great threats to global public health security. There is an urgent need to design effective next‑generation vaccines against Omicron lineages. Here, we investigated the immunogenic capacity of the vaccine candidate based on the receptor binding domain (RBD). An RBDβ-HR self-assembled trimer vaccine including RBD of Beta variant (containing K417, E484 and N501) and heptad repeat (HR) subunits was developed using an insect cell expression platform. Sera obtained from immunized mice effectively blocked RBD-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) binding for different viral variants, showing robust inhibitory activity. In addition, RBDβ-HR/trimer vaccine durably exhibited high titers of specific binding antibodies and high levels of cross-protective neutralizing antibodies against newly emerging Omicron lineages, as well as other major variants including Alpha, Beta, and Delta. Consistently, the vaccine also promoted a broad and potent cellular immune response involving the participation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, germinal center (GC) B cells, activated T cells, effector memory T cells, and central memory T cells, which are critical facets of protective immunity. These results demonstrated that RBDβ-HR/trimer vaccine candidates provided an attractive next-generation vaccine strategy against Omicron variants in the global effort to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai He
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Li Chen
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jingyun Yang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zimin Chen
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hong Lei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Weiqi Hong
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiangrong Song
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Li Yang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jiong Li
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guobo Shen
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guangwen Lu
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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34
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Garcia Fallit M, Pidre ML, Asad AS, Peña Agudelo JA, Vera MB, Nicola Candia AJ, Sagripanti SB, Pérez Kuper M, Amorós Morales LC, Marchesini A, Gonzalez N, Caruso CM, Romanowski V, Seilicovich A, Videla-Richardson GA, Zanetti FA, Candolfi M. Evaluation of Baculoviruses as Gene Therapy Vectors for Brain Cancer. Viruses 2023; 15:608. [PMID: 36992317 PMCID: PMC10051617 DOI: 10.3390/v15030608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to assess the potential of baculoviral vectors (BV) for brain cancer gene therapy. We compared them with adenoviral vectors (AdV), which are used in neuro-oncology, but for which there is pre-existing immunity. We constructed BVs and AdVs encoding fluorescent reporter proteins and evaluated their transduction efficiency in glioma cells and astrocytes. Naïve and glioma-bearing mice were intracranially injected with BVs to assess transduction and neuropathology. Transgene expression was also assessed in the brain of BV-preimmunized mice. While the expression of BVs was weaker than AdVs in murine and human glioma cell lines, BV-mediated transgene expression in patient-derived glioma cells was similar to AdV-mediated transduction and showed strong correlation with clathrin expression, a protein that interacts with the baculovirus glycoprotein GP64, mediating BV endocytosis. BVs efficiently transduced normal and neoplastic astrocytes in vivo, without apparent neurotoxicity. BV-mediated transgene expression was stable for at least 21 days in the brain of naïve mice, but it was significantly reduced after 7 days in mice systemically preimmunized with BVs. Our findings indicate that BVs efficiently transduce glioma cells and astrocytes without apparent neurotoxicity. Since humans do not present pre-existing immunity against BVs, these vectors may constitute a valuable tool for the delivery of therapeutic genes into the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías Garcia Fallit
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1428BFA, Argentina
| | - Matías L. Pidre
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular (IBBM, UNLP-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata B1900, Argentina
| | - Antonela S. Asad
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Jorge A. Peña Agudelo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Mariana B. Vera
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Alejandro J. Nicola Candia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Sofia B. Sagripanti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Melanie Pérez Kuper
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Leslie C. Amorós Morales
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular (IBBM, UNLP-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata B1900, Argentina
| | - Abril Marchesini
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular (IBBM, UNLP-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata B1900, Argentina
| | - Nazareno Gonzalez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Carla M. Caruso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Víctor Romanowski
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular (IBBM, UNLP-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata B1900, Argentina
| | - Adriana Seilicovich
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Guillermo A. Videla-Richardson
- Fundación Para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia (FLENI), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
| | - Flavia A. Zanetti
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología ‘‘Dr. Cesar Milstein”, CONICET, Saladillo 2468 (C1440FFX), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1428, Argentina
| | - Marianela Candolfi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1121A6B, Argentina
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35
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Baculovirus Display of Peptides and Proteins for Medical Applications. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020411. [PMID: 36851625 PMCID: PMC9962271 DOI: 10.3390/v15020411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Baculoviridae is a large family of arthropod-infective viruses. Recombinant baculoviruses have many applications, the best known is as a system for large scale protein production in combination with insect cell cultures. More recently recombinant baculoviruses have been utilized for the display of proteins of interest with applications in medicine. In the present review we analyze the different strategies for the display of proteins and peptides on the surface of recombinant baculoviruses and provide some examples of the different proteins displayed. We analyze briefly the commercially available systems for recombinant baculovirus production and display and discuss the future of this emerging and powerful technology.
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36
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Collins L, Ponnazhagan S, Curiel DT. Synthetic Biology Design as a Paradigm Shift toward Manufacturing Affordable Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Therapies. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:17-26. [PMID: 36627108 PMCID: PMC9872172 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy has demonstrated enormous potential for changing how we combat disease. By directly engineering the genetic composition of cells, it provides a broad range of options for improving human health. Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) represent a leading gene therapy vector and are expected to address a wide range of conditions in the coming decade. Three AAV therapies have already been approved by the FDA to treat Leber's congenital amaurosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and hemophilia B. Yet these therapies cost around $850,000, $2,100,000, and $3,500,000, respectively. Such prices limit the broad applicability of AAV gene therapy and make it inaccessible to most patients. Much of this problem arises from the high manufacturing costs of AAVs. At the same time, the field of synthetic biology has grown rapidly and has displayed a special aptitude for addressing biomanufacturing problems. Here, we discuss emerging efforts to apply synthetic biology design to decrease the price of AAV production, and we propose that such efforts could play a major role in making gene therapy much more widely accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan
Thrasher Collins
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University
in St. Louis, 4950 Childrens Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United
States
| | - Selvarangan Ponnazhagan
- Department
of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35233, United States
| | - David T. Curiel
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University
in St. Louis, 4950 Childrens Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United
States
- Department
of Radiation Oncology, Washington University
in St. Louis, 4950 Childrens
Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
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37
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Pirkalkhoran S, Grabowska WR, Kashkoli HH, Mirhassani R, Guiliano D, Dolphin C, Khalili H. Bioengineering of Antibody Fragments: Challenges and Opportunities. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:bioengineering10020122. [PMID: 36829616 PMCID: PMC9952581 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10020122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody fragments are used in the clinic as important therapeutic proteins for treatment of indications where better tissue penetration and less immunogenic molecules are needed. Several expression platforms have been employed for the production of these recombinant proteins, from which E. coli and CHO cell-based systems have emerged as the most promising hosts for higher expression. Because antibody fragments such as Fabs and scFvs are smaller than traditional antibody structures and do not require specific patterns of glycosylation decoration for therapeutic efficacy, it is possible to express them in systems with reduced post-translational modification capacity and high expression yield, for example, in plant and insect cell-based systems. In this review, we describe different bioengineering technologies along with their opportunities and difficulties to manufacture antibody fragments with consideration of stability, efficacy and safety for humans. There is still potential for a new production technology with a view of being simple, fast and cost-effective while maintaining the stability and efficacy of biotherapeutic fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sama Pirkalkhoran
- School of Biomedical Science, University of West London, London W5 5RF, UK
| | | | | | | | - David Guiliano
- School of Life Science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK
| | - Colin Dolphin
- School of Biomedical Science, University of West London, London W5 5RF, UK
| | - Hanieh Khalili
- School of Biomedical Science, University of West London, London W5 5RF, UK
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK
- Correspondence:
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Xu J, Sekiguchi T, Boonyakida J, Kato T, Park EY. Display of multiple proteins on engineered canine parvovirus-like particles expressed in cultured silkworm cells and silkworm larvae. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1096363. [PMID: 36873345 PMCID: PMC9977810 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1096363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent progress has been made dramatically in decorating virus-like particles (VLPs) on the surface or inside with functional molecules, such as antigens or nucleic acids. However, it is still challenging to display multiple antigens on the surface of VLP to meet the requirement as a practical vaccine candidate. Herein this study, we focus on the expression and engineering of the capsid protein VP2 of canine parvovirus for VLP display in the silkworm-expression system. The chemistry of the SpyTag/SpyCatcher (SpT/SpC) and SnoopTag/SnoopCatcher (SnT/SnC) are efficient protein covalent ligation systems to modify VP2 genetically, where SpyTag/SnoopTag are inserted into the N-terminus or two distinct loop regions (Lx and L2) of VP2. The SpC-EGFP and SnC-mCherry are employed as model proteins to evaluate their binding and display on six SnT/SnC-modified VP2 variants. From a series of protein binding assays between indicated protein partners, we showed that the VP2 variant with SpT inserted at the L2 region significantly enhanced VLP display to 80% compared to 5.4% from N-terminal SpT-fused VP2-derived VLPs. In contrast, the VP2 variant with SpT at the Lx region failed to form VLPs. Moreover, the SpT (Lx)/SnT (L2) double-engineered chimeric VP2 variants showed covalent conjugation capacity to both SpC/SnC protein partners. The orthogonal ligations between those binding partners were confirmed by both mixing purified proteins and co-infecting cultured silkworm cells or larvae with desired recombinant viruses. Our results indicate that a convenient VLP display platform was successfully developed for multiple antigen displays on demand. Further verifications can be performed to assess its capacity for displaying desirable antigens and inducing a robust immune response to targeted pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Green Chemistry Research Division, Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tomofumi Sekiguchi
- Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Jirayu Boonyakida
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Green Chemistry Research Division, Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kato
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Green Chemistry Research Division, Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan.,Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan.,Department of Bioscience, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Enoch Y Park
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Green Chemistry Research Division, Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan.,Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan.,Department of Bioscience, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
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Rockman S, Laurie K, Ong C, Rajaram S, McGovern I, Tran V, Youhanna J. Cell-Based Manufacturing Technology Increases Antigenic Match of Influenza Vaccine and Results in Improved Effectiveness. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 11:52. [PMID: 36679895 PMCID: PMC9861528 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure that vaccination offers the best protection against an infectious disease, sequence identity between the vaccine and the circulating strain is paramount. During replication of nucleic acid, random mutations occur due to the level of polymerase fidelity. In traditional influenza vaccine manufacture, vaccine viruses are propagated in fertilized chicken eggs, which can result in egg-adaptive mutations in the antigen-encoding genes. Whilst this improves infection and replication in eggs, mutations may reduce the effectiveness of egg-based influenza vaccines against circulating human viruses. In contrast, egg-adaptive mutations are avoided when vaccine viruses are propagated in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell lines during manufacture of cell-based inactivated influenza vaccines. The first mammalian cell-only strain was included in Flucelvax® Quadrivalent in 2017. A sequence analysis of the viruses selected for inclusion in this vaccine (n = 15 vaccine strains, containing both hemagglutinin and neuraminidase) demonstrated that no mutations occur in the antigenic sites of either hemagglutinin or neuraminidase, indicating that cell adaptation does not occur during production of this cell-based vaccine. The development of this now entirely mammalian-based vaccine system, which incorporates both hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, ensures that the significant protective antigens are equivalent to the strains recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in both amino acid sequence and glycosylation pattern. The inclusion of both proteins in a vaccine may provide an advantage over recombinant vaccines containing hemagglutinin alone. Findings from real world effectiveness studies support the use of cell-based influenza vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Rockman
- CSL Seqirus Ltd., Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
| | - Karen Laurie
- CSL Seqirus Ltd., Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
| | - Chi Ong
- CSL Seqirus Ltd., Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
| | | | | | - Vy Tran
- CSL Seqirus Ltd., Kirkland, QC H9H 4M7, Canada
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Sari-Ak D, Alomari O, Shomali RA, Lim J, Thimiri Govinda Raj DB. Advances in CRISPR-Cas9 for the Baculovirus Vector System: A Systematic Review. Viruses 2022; 15:54. [PMID: 36680093 PMCID: PMC9864449 DOI: 10.3390/v15010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The baculovirus expression vector systems (BEVS) have been widely used for the recombinant production of proteins in insect cells and with high insert capacity. However, baculovirus does not replicate in mammalian cells; thus, the BacMam system, a heterogenous expression system that can infect certain mammalian cells, was developed. Since then, the BacMam system has enabled transgene expression via mammalian-specific promoters in human cells, and later, the MultiBacMam system enabled multi-protein expression in mammalian cells. In this review, we will cover the continual development of the BEVS in combination with CRPISPR-Cas technologies to drive genome-editing in mammalian cells. Additionally, we highlight the use of CRISPR-Cas in glycoengineering to potentially produce a new class of glycoprotein medicines in insect cells. Moreover, we anticipate CRISPR-Cas9 to play a crucial role in the development of protein expression systems, gene therapy, and advancing genome engineering applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duygu Sari-Ak
- Department of Medical Biology, Hamidiye International School of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Omar Alomari
- Hamidiye International School of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey; (O.A.); (R.A.S.)
| | - Raghad Al Shomali
- Hamidiye International School of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey; (O.A.); (R.A.S.)
| | - Jackwee Lim
- Singapore Immunology Network, A*STAR, 8a Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138648, Singapore;
| | - Deepak B. Thimiri Govinda Raj
- Synthetic Nanobiotechnology and Biomachines Group, Synthetic Biology and Precision Medicine Centre, Next Generation Health Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
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Sharma S, Keerthi PN, Giri L, Mitra K. Toward Performance Improvement of a Baculovirus–Insect Cell System under Uncertain Environment: A Robust Multiobjective Dynamic Optimization Approach for Semibatch Suspension Culture. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c03355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Sharma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana502284, India
| | - Pujari Nagasree Keerthi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana502284, India
| | - Lopamudra Giri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana502284, India
| | - Kishalay Mitra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana502284, India
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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] [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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Recombinant AMA1 Virus-like Particle Antigen for Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii Infection. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10112812. [PMID: 36359332 PMCID: PMC9687185 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis diagnosis predominantly relies on serology testing via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), but these results are highly variable. Consequently, various antigens are being evaluated to improve the sensitivity and specificity of toxoplasmosis serological diagnosis. Here, we generated Toxoplasma gondii virus-like particles displaying AMA1 of T. gondii and evaluated their diagnostic potential. We found that AMA1 VLPs were highly sensitive and reacted with the sera acquired from mice infected with either T. gondii ME49 or RH strains. The overall IgG and IgM antibody responses elicited by AMA1 VLPs were substantially higher than those induced by the conventionally used T. gondii lysate antigen (TLA). Importantly, AMA1 VLPs were capable of detecting parasitic infection with T. gondii RH and ME49 as early as 1 week post-infection, even when mice were exposed to low infectious doses (5 × 103 and 10 cysts, respectively). AMA1 VLPs also did not cross-react with the immune sera acquired from Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Compared to TLA, stronger antibody responses were induced by AMA1 VLPs when tested using T. gondii-infected human sera. The sensitivities and specificities of the two antigens were substantially different, with AMA1 VLPs demonstrating over 90% sensitivity and specificity, whereas these values were in the 70% range for the TLA. These results indicated that AMA1 VLPs can detect infections of both T. gondii ME49 and RH at an early stage of infection caused by very low infection doses in mice, and these could be used for serological diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis.
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Yang N, Zhang J, Xu M, Yi J, Wang Z, Wang Y, Chen C. Virus-like particles vaccines based on glycoprotein E0 and E2 of bovine viral diarrhea virus induce Humoral responses. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1047001. [PMID: 36439839 PMCID: PMC9687372 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1047001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine viral diarrhea/mucosal disease (BVD/MD) is a viral infectious disease that seriously endangers the health of cattle herds and brings serious economic losses to the global cattle industry. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are empty shell structures without viral nucleic acid, which are similar to natural virus particles in morphology and structure. Because of their strong immunogenicity and biological activity, some of them have been used as vaccines in clinical trials. In this study, we developed a strategy to generate BVDV (E0 + E2, E2 + E2) VLPs using an insect baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS). The VLPs obtained were detected by immunofluorescence assay (IFA), western blotting analyses and transmission electron microscope (TEM), and the results showed that VLPs of high purity were obtained. Mice immunized with VLPs (15 μg) and Freund's adjuvant (100 μl) elicited higher BVDV-neutralizing antibody in comparison with Freund's adjuvant control (p < 0.0001), and even on day 21 or 35 post-prime immunization, the neutralizing antibody levels of mice immunized with E0 + E2 or E2 + E2 VLPs were significantly higher compared with inactivated vaccine (p < 0.05). A subsequent challenge reveals that the viral loads of livers, kidneys, spleens, lungs and small intestines were significantly lower compared with control (p < 0.0001), and the viral loads of mice immunized with E0 + E2 or E2 + E2 VLPs in the small intestines were significantly lower compared with inactivated vaccine (p < 0.05). Thus, VLPs are a promising candidate vaccine and warrants further clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Jiangwei Zhang
- Intelligent Breeding of Livestock and Poultry, Tiemenguan Vocational and Technical College, Tiemenguan, China
| | - Mingguo Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Jihai Yi
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Yong Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Chuangfu Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Key Laboratory of Control and Prevention of Animal Disease, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps, Shihezi, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Zoonotic Infectious Diseases in the Western Region, Shihezi, China
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Yamamoto Y, Kajiura H, Nishibu T, Fujiyama K. Mamestra brassicae NIAS-Mb-32 cell strain 2g2 enables high-yield recombinant protein production in baculovirus-free and baculovirus-based insect cell expression. J Biosci Bioeng 2022; 134:432-440. [PMID: 36163133 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The production of recombinant proteins using insect cells has been widely used for over 30 years, which contributing to life science research and biotechnology. Insect cells exhibiting enhanced N-glycosylation and recombinant protein productivity enhance the productivity of the baculovirus-insect cell system (BICS). A new highly proliferative insect cell strain, 2g2, was established from the Mamestra brassicae pupa ovary cell strain NIAS-MB-32 (RCB0413) to address the problem of Sf-rhabdovirus and to explore the newly available possibilities in BICS as well as Sf9, such as increased protein production and recombinant baculovirus amplification. The high-growth cell strain 2g2 was examined for its recombinant protein production ability and baculovirus productivity; moreover, the activity of the produced recombinant proteins was examined using Sf9 as a benchmark. Recombinant protein productivity and virus production by BICS in 2g2 was confirmed as equivalent to that of Sf9. Furthermore, we produced the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein in a baculovirus-free system and compared its productivity, binding activity with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, and N-glycosylation. The productivity and bioactivity were found to be equal to or better than that of Sf9. Moreover, N-glycosylation analysis revealed that the glycans derived from the 2g2-produced glycoproteins were mostly of the high mannose type as Sf9. Therefore, 2g2 may have the same N-glycosylation ability as Sf9. Finally, the Sf-rhabdovirus was confirmed to be negative in 2g2. Our results demonstrated that the novel insect cell strain 2g2 can serve as a protein production tool in scientific research and industrial biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yotaro Yamamoto
- Production Process Development Department, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, 6-1 Takata-cho, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo 661-0963, Japan; International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kajiura
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nishibu
- Production Process Development Department, FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, 6-1 Takata-cho, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo 661-0963, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Fujiyama
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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Jaron M, Lehky M, Zarà M, Zaydowicz CN, Lak A, Ballmann R, Heine PA, Wenzel EV, Schneider KT, Bertoglio F, Kempter S, Köster RW, Barbieri SS, van den Heuvel J, Hust M, Dübel S, Schubert M. Baculovirus-Free SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particle Production in Insect Cells for Rapid Neutralization Assessment. Viruses 2022. [PMID: 36298643 DOI: 10.3390/v14102087/s1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) resemble authentic virus while not containing any genomic information. Here, we present a fast and powerful method for the production of SARS-CoV-2 VLP in insect cells and the application of these VLPs to evaluate the inhibition capacity of monoclonal antibodies and sera of vaccinated donors. Our method avoids the baculovirus-based approaches commonly used in insect cells by employing direct plasmid transfection to co-express SARS-CoV-2 envelope, membrane, and spike protein that self-assemble into VLPs. After optimization of the expression plasmids and vector ratios, VLPs with an ~145 nm diameter and the typical "Corona" aura were obtained, as confirmed by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fusion of the membrane protein to GFP allowed direct quantification of binding inhibition to angiotensin II-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on cells by therapeutic antibody candidates or sera from vaccinated individuals. Neither VLP purification nor fluorescent labeling by secondary antibodies are required to perform these flow cytometric assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Jaron
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Lehky
- Recombinant Protein Expression Platform, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstraße 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marta Zarà
- Unit of Brain-Heart Axis, IRCCS Monzino Cardiology Center, Via C. Parea 4, 20138 Milano, Italy
| | - Chris Nicole Zaydowicz
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Aidin Lak
- Institute for Electrical Measurement Science and Fundamental Electrical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Straße 66, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rico Ballmann
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Philip Alexander Heine
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Kai-Thomas Schneider
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Federico Bertoglio
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Kempter
- Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 München, Germany
| | - Reinhard Wolfgang Köster
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Silvia Stella Barbieri
- Unit of Brain-Heart Axis, IRCCS Monzino Cardiology Center, Via C. Parea 4, 20138 Milano, Italy
| | - Joop van den Heuvel
- Recombinant Protein Expression Platform, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstraße 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Hust
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Maren Schubert
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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Hong M, Li T, Xue W, Zhang S, Cui L, Wang H, Zhang Y, Zhou L, Gu Y, Xia N, Li S. Genetic engineering of baculovirus-insect cell system to improve protein production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:994743. [PMID: 36204465 PMCID: PMC9530357 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.994743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS), a mature foreign protein expression platform, has been available for decades, and has been effectively used in vaccine production, gene therapy, and a host of other applications. To date, eleven BEVS-derived products have been approved for use, including four human vaccines [Cervarix against cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), Flublok and Flublok Quadrivalent against seasonal influenza, Nuvaxovid/Covovax against COVID-19], two human therapeutics [Provenge against prostate cancer and Glybera against hereditary lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD)] and five veterinary vaccines (Porcilis Pesti, BAYOVAC CSF E2, Circumvent PCV, Ingelvac CircoFLEX and Porcilis PCV). The BEVS has many advantages, including high safety, ease of operation and adaptable for serum-free culture. It also produces properly folded proteins with correct post-translational modifications, and can accommodate multi-gene– or large gene insertions. However, there remain some challenges with this system, including unstable expression and reduced levels of protein glycosylation. As the demand for biotechnology increases, there has been a concomitant effort into optimizing yield, stability and protein glycosylation through genetic engineering and the manipulation of baculovirus vector and host cells. In this review, we summarize the strategies and technological advances of BEVS in recent years and explore how this will be used to inform the further development and application of this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minqing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Wenhui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Sibo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Lingyan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuyun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Lizhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Ying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
- The Research Unit of Frontier Technology of Structural Vaccinology of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Xiamen, China
| | - Shaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Shaowei Li,
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Jaron M, Lehky M, Zarà M, Zaydowicz CN, Lak A, Ballmann R, Heine PA, Wenzel EV, Schneider KT, Bertoglio F, Kempter S, Köster RW, Barbieri SS, van den Heuvel J, Hust M, Dübel S, Schubert M. Baculovirus-Free SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particle Production in Insect Cells for Rapid Neutralization Assessment. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102087. [PMID: 36298643 PMCID: PMC9606917 DOI: 10.3390/v14102087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) resemble authentic virus while not containing any genomic information. Here, we present a fast and powerful method for the production of SARS-CoV-2 VLP in insect cells and the application of these VLPs to evaluate the inhibition capacity of monoclonal antibodies and sera of vaccinated donors. Our method avoids the baculovirus-based approaches commonly used in insect cells by employing direct plasmid transfection to co-express SARS-CoV-2 envelope, membrane, and spike protein that self-assemble into VLPs. After optimization of the expression plasmids and vector ratios, VLPs with an ~145 nm diameter and the typical “Corona” aura were obtained, as confirmed by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fusion of the membrane protein to GFP allowed direct quantification of binding inhibition to angiotensin II-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on cells by therapeutic antibody candidates or sera from vaccinated individuals. Neither VLP purification nor fluorescent labeling by secondary antibodies are required to perform these flow cytometric assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Jaron
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Lehky
- Recombinant Protein Expression Platform, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstraße 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marta Zarà
- Unit of Brain-Heart Axis, IRCCS Monzino Cardiology Center, Via C. Parea 4, 20138 Milano, Italy
| | - Chris Nicole Zaydowicz
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Aidin Lak
- Institute for Electrical Measurement Science and Fundamental Electrical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Straße 66, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rico Ballmann
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Philip Alexander Heine
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Kai-Thomas Schneider
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Federico Bertoglio
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Kempter
- Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 München, Germany
| | - Reinhard Wolfgang Köster
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Silvia Stella Barbieri
- Unit of Brain-Heart Axis, IRCCS Monzino Cardiology Center, Via C. Parea 4, 20138 Milano, Italy
| | - Joop van den Heuvel
- Recombinant Protein Expression Platform, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstraße 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Hust
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Maren Schubert
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 7, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Wang N, Yang C, Peng H, Guo W, Wang M, Li G, Liu D. The introduction of an N-glycosylation site into prochymosin greatly enhances its production and secretion by Pichia pastoris. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:177. [PMID: 36042512 PMCID: PMC9429577 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01904-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND N-glycosylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications. Many studies have shown that N-glycosylation has a significant effect on the secretion level of heterologous glycoproteins in yeast cells. However, there have been few studies reporting a clear and unified explanation for the intracellular mechanism that N-glycosylation affect the secretion of heterologous glycoproteins so far. Pichia pastoris is an important microbial cell factory producing heterologous protein. It is of great significance to study the effect of N-glycosylation on the secretion level of heterologous protein. Camel chymosin is a glycoprotein with higher application potential in cheese manufacturing industry. We have expressed camel prochymosin in P. pastoris GS115, but the lower secretion level limits its industrial application. This study attempts to increase the secretion level of prochymosin through N-glycosylation, and explore the molecular mechanism of N-glycosylation affecting secretion. RESULTS Adding an N-glycosylation site at the 34th amino acid of the propeptide of prochymosin significantly increased its secretion in P. pastoris. N-glycosylation improved the thermostability of prochymosin without affecting the enzymatic activity. Immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry (IP-MS) analysis showed that compared with the wild prochymosin (chy), the number of proteins interacting with N-glycosylated mutant (chy34) decreased, and all differential interacting proteins (DIPs) were down-regulated in chy34-GS115 cell. The DIPs in endoplasmic reticulum were mainly concentrated in the misfolded protein pathway. Among the five DIPs in this pathway, overexpression of BiP significantly increased the secretion of chy. The knockout of the possible misfolded protein recognition elements, UDP-glycose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 and 2 (UGGT1/2) had no effect on the growth of yeast cells and the secretion of prochymosin. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, N-glycosylation increased the secretion of prochymosin in P. pastoris trough the adjustment of intracellular interacted proteins. The results of our study may help to elucidate the molecular mechanism of N-glycosylation affecting secretion and provide a new research method to improve the secretion of heterologous glycoprotein in P. pastoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Caifeng Yang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Huakang Peng
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Wenfang Guo
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Mengqi Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Gangqiang Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Dehu Liu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
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50
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Choque-Guevara R, Poma-Acevedo A, Montesinos-Millán R, Rios-Matos D, Gutiérrez-Manchay K, Montalvan-Avalos A, Quiñones-Garcia S, Cauti-Mendoza MDG, Agurto-Arteaga A, Ramirez-Ortiz I, Criollo-Orozco M, Huaccachi-Gonzales E, Romero YK, Perez-Martinez N, Isasi-Rivas G, Sernaque-Aguilar Y, Villanueva-Pérez D, Ygnacio F, Vallejos-Sánchez K, Fernández-Sánchez M, Guevara-Sarmiento LA, Fernández-Díaz M, Zimic M. Squalene in oil-based adjuvant improves the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 RBD and confirms safety in animal models. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269823. [PMID: 35998134 PMCID: PMC9397949 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of vaccines against its etiologic agent, SARS-CoV-2. However, the emergence of new variants of the virus lead to the generation of new alternatives to improve the current sub-unit vaccines in development. In the present report, the immunogenicity of the Spike RBD of SARS-CoV-2 formulated with an oil-in-water emulsion and a water-in-oil emulsion with squalene was evaluated in mice and hamsters. The RBD protein was expressed in insect cells and purified by chromatography until >95% purity. The protein was shown to have the appropriate folding as determined by ELISA and flow cytometry binding assays to its receptor, as well as by its detection by hamster immune anti-S1 sera under non-reducing conditions. In immunization assays, although the cellular immune response elicited by both adjuvants were similar, the formulation based in water-in-oil emulsion and squalene generated an earlier humoral response as determined by ELISA. Similarly, this formulation was able to stimulate neutralizing antibodies in hamsters. The vaccine candidate was shown to be safe, as demonstrated by the histopathological analysis in lungs, liver and kidney. These results have shown the potential of this formulation vaccine to be evaluated in a challenge against SARS-CoV-2 and determine its ability to confer protection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dora Rios-Matos
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
| | | | | | - Stefany Quiñones-Garcia
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maria de Grecia Cauti-Mendoza
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | | | | | - Yomara K. Romero
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Gisela Isasi-Rivas
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
| | | | | | - Freddy Ygnacio
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
| | - Katherine Vallejos-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | | | - Mirko Zimic
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- * E-mail:
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