1
|
Mashhadi Abolghasem Shirazi M, Sadat SM, Haghighat S, Roohvand F, Arashkia A. Alum and a TLR7 agonist combined with built-in TLR4 and 5 agonists synergistically enhance immune responses against HPV RG1 epitope. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16801. [PMID: 37798448 PMCID: PMC10556035 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43965-3] [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: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To relieve the limitations of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines based on L1 capsid protein, vaccine formulations based on RG1 epitope of HPV L2 using various built-in adjuvants are under study. Herein, we describe design and construction of a rejoined peptide (RP) harboring HPV16 RG1 epitope fused to TLR4/5 agonists and a tetanus toxoid epitope, which were linked by the (GGGS)3 linker in tandem. In silico analyses indicated the proper physicochemical, immunogenic and safety profile of the RP. Docking analyses on predicted 3D model suggested the effective interaction of TLR4/5 agonists within RP with their corresponding TLRs. Expressing the 1206 bp RP-coding DNA in E. coli produced a 46 kDa protein, and immunization of mice by natively-purified RP in different adjuvant formulations indicated the crucial role of the built-in adjuvants for induction of anti-RG1 responses that could be further enhanced by combination of TLR7 agonist/alum adjuvants. While the TLR4/5 agonists contributed in the elicitation of the Th2-polarized immune responses, combination with TLR7 agonist changed the polarization to the balanced Th1/Th2 immune responses. Indeed, RP + TLR7 agonist/alum adjuvants induced the strongest immune responses that could efficiently neutralize the HPV pseudoviruses, and thus might be a promising formulation for an inexpensive and cross-reactive HPV vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Seyed Mehdi Sadat
- Department of Hepatitis, AIDS and Blood borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Setareh Haghighat
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzin Roohvand
- Department of Molecular Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, No. 69, Pasteur Ave, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Arash Arashkia
- Department of Molecular Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, No. 69, Pasteur Ave, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jose L, Gonzalez J, Kessinger E, Androphy EJ, DeSmet M. Focal Adhesion Kinase Binds to the HPV E2 Protein to Regulate Initial Replication after Infection. Pathogens 2023; 12:1203. [PMID: 37887719 PMCID: PMC10609836 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12101203] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Human papillomaviruses are small DNA tumor viruses that infect cutaneous and mucosal epithelia. The viral lifecycle is linked to the differentiation status of the epithelium. During initial viral infection, the genomes replicate at a low copy number but the mechanism(s) the virus uses to control the copy number during this stage is not known. In this study, we demonstrate that the tyrosine kinase focal adhesion kinase (FAK) binds to and phosphorylates the high-risk viral E2 protein, the key regulator of HPV replication. The depletion of FAK with a specific PROTAC had no effect on viral DNA content in keratinocytes that already maintain HPV-16 and HPV-31 episomes. In contrast, the depletion of FAK significantly increased HPV-16 DNA content in keratinocytes infected with HPV-16 quasiviruses. These data imply that FAK prevents the over-replication of the HPV genome after infection through the interaction and phosphorylation of the E2 protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leny Jose
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.J.); (E.K.); (E.J.A.)
| | - Jessica Gonzalez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Emma Kessinger
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.J.); (E.K.); (E.J.A.)
| | - Elliot J. Androphy
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.J.); (E.K.); (E.J.A.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
| | - Marsha DeSmet
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.J.); (E.K.); (E.J.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Assays Based on Pseudotyped Viruses. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1407:29-44. [PMID: 36920690 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-0113-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Pseudotyped viruses are more and more widely used in virus research and the evaluation of antiviral products because of their high safety, simple operation, high accessibility, ease in achieving standardization, and high throughput. The development of measures based on pseudotyped virus is closely related to the characteristics of viruses, and it is also necessary to follow the principles of assay development. Only in the process of method development, where the key parameters that affect the results are systematically optimized and the preliminary established method is fully validated, can the accuracy, reliability, and repeatability of the test results be ensured. Only the method established on this basis can be transferred to different laboratories and make the results of different laboratories comparable. This paper summarizes the specific aspects and general principles in the development of assays based on pseudotyped virus, which is of reference value for the development of similar methods.
Collapse
|
4
|
Molenberghs F, Verschuuren M, Barbier M, Bogers JJ, Cools N, Delputte P, Schelhaas M, De Vos WH. Cells infected with human papilloma pseudovirus display nuclear reorganization and heterogenous infection kinetics. Cytometry A 2022; 101:1035-1048. [PMID: 35668549 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24663] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are small, non-enveloped DNA viruses, which upon chronic infection can provoke cervical and head-and-neck cancers. Although the infectious life cycle of HPV has been studied and a vaccine is available for the most prevalent cancer-causing HPV types, there are no antiviral agents to treat infected patients. Hence, there is a need for novel therapeutic entry points and a means to identify them. In this work, we have used high-content microscopy to quantitatively investigate the early phase of HPV infection. Human cervical cancer cells and immortalized keratinocytes were exposed to pseudoviruses (PsV) of the widespread HPV type 16, in which the viral genome was replaced by a pseudogenome encoding a fluorescent reporter protein. Using the fluorescent signal as readout, we measured differences in infection between cell lines, which directly correlated with host cell proliferation rate. Parallel multiparametric analysis of nuclear organization revealed that HPV PsV infection alters nuclear organization and inflates promyelocytic leukemia protein body content, positioning these events at the early stage of HPV infection, upstream of viral replication. Time-resolved analysis revealed a marked heterogeneity in infection kinetics even between two daughter cells, which we attribute to differences in viral load. Consistent with the requirement for mitotic nuclear envelope breakdown, pharmacological inhibition of the cell cycle dramatically blunted infection efficiency. Thus, by systematic image-based single cell analysis, we revealed phenotypic alterations that accompany HPV PsV infection in individual cells, and which may be relevant for therapeutic drug screens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Freya Molenberghs
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marlies Verschuuren
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Michaël Barbier
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Simply Complex Lab, UNAM, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Johannes J Bogers
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Cools
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Faculty Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter Delputte
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mario Schelhaas
- Institute of Cellular Virology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Antwerp Centre for Advanced Microscopy (ACAM), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kanginakudru S, Gilson T, Jose L, Androphy EJ. Effects of Caffeine, a DNA Damage Response Inhibitor, on Papillomavirus Genome Replication. Pathogens 2022; 11:1298. [PMID: 36365049 PMCID: PMC9698569 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have revealed that caffeinated coffee imparts a reduced risk of oropharyngeal cancer, of which human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the causative agents. Caffeine is a known inhibitor of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. We sought to test the effects of caffeine on the early replication of the HPV31 virus. It has been reported that the inhibition of several factors necessary for the DDR during the differentiation-dependent stage of HPV block genome amplification, while the HPV genome maintenance replication was unaffected. We first studied the effects of caffeine in the earliest stages of viral infection. Using pseudo-virions (PsV) expressing an m-Cherry reporter gene and quasi-virions (QsV) containing HPV31 genomes to mediate the infection, we found no evidence that caffeine impeded the viral entry; however, the infected cells displayed a reduced HPV copy number. In contrast, caffeine exposure increased the copy number of HPV31 episomes in the transient transfection assays and in the CIN612E cells that stably maintain viral episomes. There was a concomitant increase in the steady state levels of the HPV31 E1 and E2 transcripts, along with increased E2 loading at the viral origin of replication (ori). These results suggest that the caffeine-mediated inhibition of the DDR reduces viral genome replication in the early stage of infection, in contrast to the maintenance stage, in which the inhibition of the DDR may lead to an increase in viral amplicon replication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sriramana Kanginakudru
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Timra Gilson
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Leny Jose
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Elliot J. Androphy
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Loke ASW, Lambert PF, Spurgeon ME. Current In Vitro and In Vivo Models to Study MCPyV-Associated MCC. Viruses 2022; 14:2204. [PMID: 36298759 PMCID: PMC9607385 DOI: 10.3390/v14102204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is the only human polyomavirus currently known to cause human cancer. MCPyV is believed to be an etiological factor in at least 80% of cases of the rare but aggressive skin malignancy Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). In these MCPyV+ MCC tumors, clonal integration of the viral genome results in the continued expression of two viral proteins: the viral small T antigen (ST) and a truncated form of the viral large T antigen. The oncogenic potential of MCPyV and the functional properties of the viral T antigens that contribute to neoplasia are becoming increasingly well-characterized with the recent development of model systems that recapitulate the biology of MCPyV+ MCC. In this review, we summarize our understanding of MCPyV and its role in MCC, followed by the current state of both in vitro and in vivo model systems used to study MCPyV and its contribution to carcinogenesis. We also highlight the remaining challenges within the field and the major considerations related to the ongoing development of in vitro and in vivo models of MCPyV+ MCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Megan E. Spurgeon
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, School of Medicine & Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| |
Collapse
|