Lac-regulated system for generating adenovirus 5 vaccine vectors expressing cytolytic human immunodeficiency virus 1 genes

A Lac Repressor-Inducible Baculovirus Expression Vector for Controlling Adeno-Associated Virus Capsid Ratios

The baculovirus expression vector (BEV) system is an efficient, cost-effective, and scalable method to produce recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene therapy vectors. Most BEV designs emulate the wild-type AAV transcriptome and translate the AAV capsid proteins, VP1, VP2, and VP3, from a single mRNA transcript with three overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). Non-canonical translation initiation codons for VP1 and VP2 reduce their abundances relative to VP3. Changing capsid ratios to improve rAAV vector efficacy requires a theoretical modification of the translational context. We have developed a Lac repressor-inducible system to empirically regulate the expression of VP1 and VP2 proteins relative to VP3 in the context of the BEV. We demonstrate the use of this system to tune the abundance, titer, and potency of a neurospecific rAAV9 serotype derivative. VP1:VP2:VP3 ratios of 1:1:8 gave optimal potency for this rAAV. It was discovered that the ratios of capsid proteins expressed were different than the ratios that ultimately were in purified capsids. Overexpressed VP1 did not become incorporated into capsids, while overexpressed VP2 did. Overabundance of VP2 correlated with reduced rAAV titers. This work demonstrates a novel technology for controlling the production of rAAV in the BEV system and shows a new perspective on the biology of rAAV capsid assembly.

Differential binding of the HIV-1 envelope to phosphatidylserine receptors

Prior work has shown that the HIV-1 envelope of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) interacts directly with T-cell immunoglobulin mucin (TIM) family proteins. Herein, we demonstrate that HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins from varying HIV-1 clades bind differentially to TIM proteins and functionally similar proteins acting as phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) receptors. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology, we show that lysate containing HIV-1 envelope and recombinant HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins bind TIM-4 and advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor (AGER). The complex binding of HIV-1 UG21 gp140 to TIM-4 or AGER suggests a biphasic interaction with these proteins.

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HIV-1 glycoproteins bind PS-binding proteins as confirmed by ELISA and SPR.

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HIV-1 glycoproteins from multiple clades bind to bind phosphatidylserine binding proteins.

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Surface plasmon resonance is used to characterize the binding kinetics of HIV-1 glycoprotein and phosphatidylserine.

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HIV-1 UG21 gp140 clade D binds TIM-4 or AGER in a biphasic manner.

HIV antigen incorporation within adenovirus hexon hypervariable 2 for a novel HIV vaccine approach

Adenoviral (Ad) vectors have been used for a variety of vaccine applications including cancer and infectious diseases. Traditionally, Ad-based vaccines are designed to express antigens through transgene expression of a given antigen. However, in some cases these conventional Ad-based vaccines have had sub-optimal clinical results. These sub-optimal results are attributed in part to pre-existing Ad serotype 5 (Ad5) immunity. In order to circumvent the need for antigen expression via transgene incorporation, the “antigen capsid-incorporation” strategy has been developed and used for Ad-based vaccine development in the context of a few diseases. This strategy embodies the incorporation of antigenic peptides within the capsid structure of viral vectors. The major capsid protein hexon has been utilized for these capsid incorporation strategies due to hexon's natural role in the generation of anti-Ad immune response and its numerical representation within the Ad virion. Using this strategy, we have developed the means to incorporate heterologous peptide epitopes specifically within the major surface-exposed domains of the Ad capsid protein hexon. Our study herein focuses on generation of multivalent vaccine vectors presenting HIV antigens within the Ad capsid protein hexon, as well as expressing an HIV antigen as a transgene. These novel vectors utilize HVR2 as an incorporation site for a twenty-four amino acid region of the HIV membrane proximal ectodomain region (MPER), derived from HIV glycoprotein gp41 (gp41). Our study herein illustrates that our multivalent anti-HIV vectors elicit a cellular anti-HIV response. Furthermore, vaccinations with these vectors, which present HIV antigens at HVR2, elicit a HIV epitope-specific humoral immune response.