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Wan S, Cao S, Wang X, Zhou Y, Yan W, Gu X, Wu TC, Pang X. Evaluation of Vertebrate-Specific Replication-Defective Zika Virus, a Novel Single-Cycle Arbovirus Vaccine, in a Mouse Model. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9040338. [PMID: 33916109 PMCID: PMC8065927 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9040338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The flavivirus Zika (ZIKV) has emerged as a global threat, making the development of a ZIKV vaccine a priority. While live-attenuated vaccines are known to induce long-term immunity but reduced safety, inactivated vaccines exhibit a weaker immune response as a trade-off for increased safety margins. To overcome the trade-off between immunogenicity and safety, the concept of a third-generation flavivirus vaccine based on single-cycle flaviviruses has been developed. These third-generation flavivirus vaccines have demonstrated extreme potency with a high level of safety in animal models. However, the production of these single-cycle, encapsidation-defective flaviviruses requires a complicated virion packaging system. Here, we investigated a new single-cycle flavivirus vaccine, a vertebrate-specific replication-defective ZIKV (VSRD-ZIKV), in a mouse model. VSRD-ZIKV replicates to high titers in insect cells but can only initiate a single-round infection in vertebrate cells. During a single round of infection, VSRD-ZIKV can express all the authentic viral antigens in vertebrate hosts. VSRD-ZIKV immunization elicited a robust cellular and humoral immune response that protected against a lethal ZIKV challenge in AG129 mice. Additionally, VSRD-ZIKV-immunized pregnant mice were protected against vertically transferring a lethal ZIKV infection to their offspring. Immunized male mice were protected and prevented viral accumulation in the testes after being challenged with lethal ZIKV. Overall, our results indicate that VSRD-ZIKV induces a potent protective immunity against ZIKV in a mouse model and represents a promising approach to develop novel single-cycle arbovirus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengfeng Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.W.); (S.C.); (X.W.); (W.Y.)
- Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
| | - Shengbo Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.W.); (S.C.); (X.W.); (W.Y.)
| | - Xugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.W.); (S.C.); (X.W.); (W.Y.)
| | - Yanfei Zhou
- Tegen Biomedical Co., Rockville, MD 20851, USA;
| | - Weidong Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.W.); (S.C.); (X.W.); (W.Y.)
- Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
| | - Xinbin Gu
- Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
| | - Tzyy-Choou Wu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes, Baltimore, MD 2128, USA;
| | - Xiaowu Pang
- Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
- Correspondence:
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Wan S, Cao S, Wang X, Zhou Y, Yan W, Gu X, Wu TC, Pang X. Generation and preliminary characterization of vertebrate-specific replication-defective Zika virus. Virology 2021; 552:73-82. [PMID: 33075709 PMCID: PMC7733535 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that replicates in both vertebrate and insect cells, whereas insect-specific flaviviruses (ISF) replicate only in insect cells. We sought to convert ZIKV, from a dual-tropic flavivirus, into an insect-specific virus for the eventual development of a safe ZIKV vaccine. Reverse genetics was used to introduce specific mutations into the furin cleavage motif within the ZIKV pre-membrane protein (prM). Mutant clones were selected, which replicated well in C6/36 insect cells but exhibited reduced replication in non-human primate (Vero) cells. Further characterization of the furin cleavage site mutants indicated they replicated poorly in both human (HeLa, U251), and baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells. One clone with the induced mutation in the prM protein and at positions 291and 452 within the NS3 protein was totally and stably replication-defective in vertebrate cells (VSRD-ZIKV). Preliminary studies in ZIKV sensitive, immunodeficient mice demonstrated that VSRD-ZIKV-infected mice survived and were virus-negative. Our study indicates that a reverse genetic approach targeting the furin cleavage site in prM can be used to select an insect-specific ZIKV with the potential utility as a vaccine strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengfeng Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA; Department of Nephrology, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Immunology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital (Zhengzhou University People's Hospital), Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Shengbo Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Xugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | | | - Weidong Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Xinbin Gu
- Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Tzyy-Choou Wu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Xiaowu Pang
- Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA.
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He Y, Wang M, Chen S, Cheng A. The role of capsid in the flaviviral life cycle and perspectives for vaccine development. Vaccine 2020; 38:6872-6881. [PMID: 32950301 PMCID: PMC7495249 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.08.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The structure and function of flaviviral capsid are very flexible. The capsid gene contains conserved RNA secondary structures. Both steps of assembly and dissociation of nucleocapsid complexes are obscure. Capsid mutant viruses are highly attenuated and immunogenic. ΔC-replicon and single-round infectious particles are promising vaccine approaches.
The arthropod-borne flaviviruses cause a series of diseases in humans and pose a significant threat to global public health. In this review, we aimed to summarize the structure of the capsid protein (CP), its relevant multiple functions in the viral life cycle and innovative vaccines targeting CP. The flaviviral CP is the smallest structural protein and forms a homodimer by antiparallel α-helixes. Its primary function is to package the genomic RNA; however, both steps of assembly and dissociation of nucleocapsid complexes (NCs) have been obscure until now; in fact, flaviviral budding is NC-free, demonstrated by the subviral particles that generally exist in flavivirus infection. In infected cells, CPs associate with lipid droplets, which possibly store CPs prior to packaging. However, the function of nuclear localization of CPs remains unknown. Moreover, introducing deletions into CPs can be used to rationally design safe and effective live-attenuated vaccines or noninfectious replicon vaccines and single-round infectious particles, the latter two representing promising approaches for innovative flaviviral vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu He
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Mingshu Wang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Shun Chen
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
| | - Anchun Cheng
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
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Sangiambut S, Pethrak C, Anupap C, Ninnabkaew P, Kongsanthia C, Promphet N, Chaiyaloom S, Songjaeng A, Avirutnan P, Puttikhunt C, Kasinrerk W, Sittisombut N, Malasit P. Enhanced production of infectious particles by adaptive modulation of C–prM processing and C–C interaction during propagation of dengue pseudoinfectious virus in stable CprME-expressing cells. J Gen Virol 2020; 101:59-72. [DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sutha Sangiambut
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
| | - Chatpong Pethrak
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
| | - Chainarong Anupap
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Parichat Ninnabkaew
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Charuphan Kongsanthia
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Natcha Promphet
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
| | - Suwipa Chaiyaloom
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
| | - Adisak Songjaeng
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Panisadee Avirutnan
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Chunya Puttikhunt
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
| | - Watchara Kasinrerk
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Biomedical Technology Research Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Sciences and Technology Development Agency at the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Nopporn Sittisombut
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
| | - Prida Malasit
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
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Li W, Ma L, Guo LP, Wang XL, Zhang JW, Bu ZG, Hua RH. West Nile virus infectious replicon particles generated using a packaging-restricted cell line is a safe reporter system. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3286. [PMID: 28607390 PMCID: PMC5468312 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic pathogen which causes zoonotic disease in humans. Recently, there have been an increasing number of infected cases and there are no clinically approved vaccines or effective drugs to treat WNV infections in humans. The purpose of this study was to facilitate vaccine and antiviral drug discovery by developing a packaging cell line-restricted WNV infectious replicon particle system. We constructed a DNA-based WNV replicon lacking the C-prM-E coding region and replaced it with a GFP coding sequence. To produce WNV replicon particles, cell lines stably-expressing prM-E and C-prM-E were constructed. When the WNV replicon plasmid was co-transfected with a WNV C-expressing plasmid into the prM-E-expressing cell line or directly transfected the C-prM-E expressing cell line, the replicon particle was able to replicate, form green fluorescence foci, and exhibit cytopathic plaques similar to that induced by the wild type virus. The infectious capacity of the replicon particles was restricted to the packaging cell line as the replicons demonstrated only one round of infection in other permissive cells. Thus, this system provides a safe and convenient reporter WNV manipulating tool which can be used to study WNV viral invasion mechanisms, neutralizing antibodies and antiviral efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Le Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Li-Ping Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Jing-Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Zhi-Gao Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001, China.
| | - Rong-Hong Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001, China.
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Roby JA, Setoh YX, Hall RA, Khromykh AA. Post-translational regulation and modifications of flavivirus structural proteins. J Gen Virol 2015; 96:1551-69. [PMID: 25711963 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.000097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses are a group of single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that generally circulate between arthropod vectors and susceptible vertebrate hosts, producing significant human and veterinary disease burdens. Intensive research efforts have broadened our scientific understanding of the replication cycles of these viruses and have revealed several elegant and tightly co-ordinated post-translational modifications that regulate the activity of viral proteins. The three structural proteins in particular - capsid (C), pre-membrane (prM) and envelope (E) - are subjected to strict regulatory modifications as they progress from translation through virus particle assembly and egress. The timing of proteolytic cleavage events at the C-prM junction directly influences the degree of genomic RNA packaging into nascent virions. Proteolytic maturation of prM by host furin during Golgi transit facilitates rearrangement of the E proteins at the virion surface, exposing the fusion loop and thus increasing particle infectivity. Specific interactions between the prM and E proteins are also important for particle assembly, as prM acts as a chaperone, facilitating correct conformational folding of E. It is only once prM/E heterodimers form that these proteins can be secreted efficiently. The addition of branched glycans to the prM and E proteins during virion transit also plays a key role in modulating the rate of secretion, pH sensitivity and infectivity of flavivirus particles. The insights gained from research into post-translational regulation of structural proteins are beginning to be applied in the rational design of improved flavivirus vaccine candidates and make attractive targets for the development of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Roby
- 1Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia 2School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Yin Xiang Setoh
- 1Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia 2School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Roy A Hall
- 1Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia 2School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexander A Khromykh
- 1Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Australia 2School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
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Roby JA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Prow NA, Chang DC, Hall RA, Khromykh AA. Increased expression of capsid protein in trans enhances production of single-round infectious particles by West Nile virus DNA vaccine candidate. J Gen Virol 2014; 95:2176-2191. [PMID: 24958626 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.064121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV; genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae) is an emerging pathogenic arbovirus responsible for outbreaks of encephalitis around the world. Whilst no vaccines are currently available to prevent WNV infection of humans, the use of cDNA copies of flavivirus RNA genomes with large internal deletions within the capsid (C) appears promising. C-deleted vaccines are able to replicate and secrete large amounts of non-infectious immunogenic subviral particles (SVPs) from transfected cells. We have previously generated a WNV DNA vaccine candidate pKUNdC/C where C-deleted WNV cDNA was placed under the control of one copy of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and the C gene was placed under the control of a second copy of the CMV promoter in the same plasmid DNA. This DNA was shown to generate single-round infectious particles (SRIPs) capable of delivering self-replicating C-deleted RNA producing SVPs to surrounding cells, thus enhancing the vaccine potential. However, the amounts of both SRIPs and SVPs produced from pKUNdC/C DNA were relatively low. In this investigation, we aimed at increasing SRIP production by optimizing trans-C expression via incorporating different forms of C and the use of a more powerful promoter. The construct containing an elongation factor EF1α promoter encoding an extended form of C was demonstrated to produce the highest titres of SRIPs and was immunogenic in mice. Additionally, SRIP and SVP titres were further improved via incorporation of a glycosylation motif in the envelope protein. The optimized DNA yielded ~100-fold greater titres of SRIPs than the original construct, thus providing a promising candidate for further vaccine evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Roby
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
- School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Natalie A Prow
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - David C Chang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Roy A Hall
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexander A Khromykh
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia.,Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia
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