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Ogrina A, Balke I, Kalnciema I, Skrastina D, Jansons J, Bachmann MF, Zeltins A. Bacterial expression systems based on Tymovirus-like particles for the presentation of vaccine antigens. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1154990. [PMID: 37032851 PMCID: PMC10076540 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1154990] [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: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are virus-derived artificial nanostructures that resemble a native virus-stimulating immune system through highly repetitive surface structures. Improved safety profiles, flexibility in vaccine construction, and the ease of VLP production and purification have highlighted VLPs as attractive candidates for universal vaccine platform generation, although exploration of different types of expression systems for their development is needed. Here, we demonstrate the construction of several simple Escherichia coli expression systems for the generation of eggplant mosaic virus (EMV) VLP-derived vaccines. We used different principles of antigen incorporation, including direct fusion of EMV coat protein (CP) with major cat allergen Feld1, coexpression of antigen containing and unmodified (mosaic) EMV CPs, and two coexpression variants of EMV VLPs and antigen using synthetic zipper pair 18/17 (SYNZIP 18/17), and coiled-coil forming peptides E and K (Ecoil/Kcoil). Recombinant Fel d 1 chemically coupled to EMV VLPs was included as control experiments. All EMV-Feld1 variants were expressed in E. coli, formed Tymovirus-like VLPs, and were used for immunological evaluation in healthy mice. The immunogenicity of these newly developed vaccine candidates demonstrated high titers of Feld1-specific Ab production; however, a comparably high immune response against carrier EMV was also observed. Antibody avidity tests revealed very specific Ab production (more than 50% specificity) for four out of the five vaccine candidates. Native Feld1 recognition and subclass-specific antibody tests suggested that the EMV-SZ18/17-Feld1 complex and chemically coupled EMV-Feld1 vaccines may possess characteristics for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anete Ogrina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Ina Balke
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Ieva Kalnciema
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Dace Skrastina
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Juris Jansons
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | - Martin F. Bachmann
- Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andris Zeltins
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
- *Correspondence: Andris Zeltins,
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Silva LA, Camargo BR, Araújo AC, Batista TL, Ribeiro BM, Ardisson-Araújo DMP. Easily purified baculovirus/insect-system-expressed recombinant hepatitis B virus surface antigen fused to the N- or C-terminus of polyhedrin. Arch Virol 2021; 167:345-354. [PMID: 34839419 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-021-05305-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Baculoviruses are circular double-stranded DNA viruses that infect insects and are widely used as the baculoviral expression vectors (BEVs), which provide a eukaryotic milieu for heterologous expression. The most frequently used vector is based on Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). However, purification of recombinant proteins produced using BEVs is laborious, time-consuming, and often expensive. Numerous strategies have been explored to facilitate purification of heterologous proteins, such as fusion with occlusion body (OBs)-forming proteins like polyhedrin (Polh). Baculoviruses produce OBs in the late stages of infection to protect the virion in the cellular environment, and the main protein responsible for OB formation is Polh. In this study, we investigated the effect of fusing the gene that encodes the surface antigen (S-HBsAg) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) to either the N- or C-terminus of the AcMNPV Polh. The production of recombinant viruses and recombinant proteins was confirmed, and the ability to form chimeric S-HBsAg-containing OBs was accessed by light and scanning electron microscopy of infected cells. The fusion was found to affect the shape and size of the OBs when compared to wild-type OBs, with the N-terminal fusion producing less-amorphous OBs than the C-terminal construct. In addition, the N-terminal construct gave higher levels of expression than the C-terminal construct. Quantitative and qualitative immunoassays with human serum or plasma antibodies against HBsAg showed that the two forms of the antigen reacted differently. Although both reacted with the antibody, the N-terminal fusion protein reacted with more sensitivity (2.27-fold) and is therefore more suitable for quantitative assays than the C-terminal version. In summary, the BEVs represents a promising tool for the production of reagents for the diagnosis of HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo A Silva
- Laboratory of Baculovirus, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Brenda R Camargo
- Laboratory of Baculovirus, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Araújo
- Laboratory of Baculovirus, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Taylice Leonel Batista
- Laboratory of Insect Virology, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910900, Brazil
| | - Bergmann M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Baculovirus, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil.
| | - Daniel M P Ardisson-Araújo
- Laboratory of Baculovirus, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Insect Virology, Cell Biology Department, University of Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910900, Brazil.
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Strategies for Optimizing the Production of Proteins and Peptides with Multiple Disulfide Bonds. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9090541. [PMID: 32858882 PMCID: PMC7558204 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9090541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria can produce recombinant proteins quickly and cost effectively. However, their physiological properties limit their use for the production of proteins in their native form, especially polypeptides that are subjected to major post-translational modifications. Proteins that rely on disulfide bridges for their stability are difficult to produce in Escherichia coli. The bacterium offers the least costly, simplest, and fastest method for protein production. However, it is difficult to produce proteins with a very large size. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris are the most commonly used yeast species for protein production. At a low expense, yeasts can offer high protein yields, generate proteins with a molecular weight greater than 50 kDa, extract signal sequences, and glycosylate proteins. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic species maintain reducing conditions in the cytoplasm. Hence, the formation of disulfide bonds is inhibited. These bonds are formed in eukaryotic cells during the export cycle, under the oxidizing conditions of the endoplasmic reticulum. Bacteria do not have an advanced subcellular space, but in the oxidizing periplasm, they exhibit both export systems and enzymatic activities directed at the formation and quality of disulfide bonds. Here, we discuss current techniques used to target eukaryotic and prokaryotic species for the generation of correctly folded proteins with disulfide bonds.
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