1
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Suwanchaikasem P, Rattanapisit K, Strasser R, Phoolcharoen W. Quality control in SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Fc vaccine production using LC-MS to confirm strain selection and detect contaminations from other strains. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9629. [PMID: 38671013 PMCID: PMC11053075 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59860-4] [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] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an ongoing outbreak, disrupting human life worldwide. Vaccine development was prioritized to obtain a biological substance for combating the viral pathogen and lessening disease severity. In vaccine production, biological origin and relevant materials must be carefully examined for potential contaminants in conformity with good manufacturing practice. Due to fast mutation, several SARS-CoV-2 variants and sublineages have been identified. Currently, most of COVID-19 vaccines are developed based on the protein sequence of the Wuhan wild type strain. New vaccines specific for emerging SARS-CoV-2 strains are continuously needed to tackle the incessant evolution of the virus. Therefore, in vaccine development and production, a reliable method to identify the nature of subunit vaccines is required to avoid cross-contamination. In this study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry using quadrupole-time of flight along with tryptic digestion was developed for distinguishing protein materials derived from different SARS-CoV-2 strains. After analyzing the recombinantly produced receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, nine characteristic peptides were identified with acceptable limits of detection. They can be used together to distinguish 14 SARS-CoV-2 strains, except Kappa and Epsilon. Plant-produced RBD-Fc protein derived from Omicron strains can be easily distinguished from the others with 4-5 unique peptides. Eventually, a peptide key was developed based on the nine peptides, offering a prompt and precise flowchart to facilitate SARS-CoV-2 strain identification in COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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2
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Sobrino-Mengual G, Armario-Nájera V, Balieu J, Walet-Balieu ML, Saba-Mayoral A, Pelacho AM, Capell T, Christou P, Bardor M, Lerouge P. The SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Domain Expressed in Rice Callus Features a Homogeneous Mix of Complex-Type Glycans. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4466. [PMID: 38674051 PMCID: PMC11050186 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084466] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 is required for the infection of human cells. It is the main target that elicits neutralizing antibodies and also a major component of diagnostic kits. The large demand for this protein has led to the use of plants as a production platform. However, it is necessary to determine the N-glycan structures of an RBD to investigate its efficacy and functionality as a vaccine candidate or diagnostic reagent. Here, we analyzed the N-glycan profile of the RBD produced in rice callus. Of the two potential N-glycan acceptor sites, we found that one was not utilized and the other contained a mixture of complex-type N-glycans. This differs from the heterogeneous mixture of N-glycans found when an RBD is expressed in other hosts, including Nicotiana benthamiana. By comparing the glycosylation profiles of different hosts, we can select platforms that produce RBDs with the most beneficial N-glycan structures for different applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Sobrino-Mengual
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25003 Lleida, Spain; (G.S.-M.); (V.A.-N.); (A.S.-M.); (A.M.P.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Victoria Armario-Nájera
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25003 Lleida, Spain; (G.S.-M.); (V.A.-N.); (A.S.-M.); (A.M.P.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Juliette Balieu
- GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Université de Rouen Normandie, F-76000 Rouen, France;
| | - Marie-Laure Walet-Balieu
- INSERM, CNRS, HeRacLeS US51 UAR2026, PISSARO, Université de Rouen Normandie, F-76000 Rouen, France; (M.-L.W.-B.); (M.B.)
| | - Andrea Saba-Mayoral
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25003 Lleida, Spain; (G.S.-M.); (V.A.-N.); (A.S.-M.); (A.M.P.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Ana M. Pelacho
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25003 Lleida, Spain; (G.S.-M.); (V.A.-N.); (A.S.-M.); (A.M.P.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25003 Lleida, Spain; (G.S.-M.); (V.A.-N.); (A.S.-M.); (A.M.P.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25003 Lleida, Spain; (G.S.-M.); (V.A.-N.); (A.S.-M.); (A.M.P.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
- Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Muriel Bardor
- INSERM, CNRS, HeRacLeS US51 UAR2026, PISSARO, Université de Rouen Normandie, F-76000 Rouen, France; (M.-L.W.-B.); (M.B.)
| | - Patrice Lerouge
- GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Université de Rouen Normandie, F-76000 Rouen, France;
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3
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Buriev ZT, Shermatov SE, Usmanov DE, Mirzakhmedov MK, Ubaydullaeva KA, Kamburova VS, Rakhmanov BK, Ayubov MS, Abdullaev AN, Eshmurzaev JB, Mamajonov BO, Tulanov AA, Ismailova AA, Petrova TA, Rozumbetov RJ, Aripova TU, Muminov MI, Ermatova KY, Dalimova DA, Turdikulova SU, Abdukarimov A, Abdurakhmonov IY. Tomato-made edible COVID-19 vaccine TOMAVAC induces neutralizing IgGs in the blood sera of mice and humans. Front Nutr 2024; 10:1275307. [PMID: 38260078 PMCID: PMC10800535 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1275307] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant-based edible vaccines that provide two-layered protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outweigh the currently used parenteral types of vaccines, which predominantly cause a systemic immune response. Here, we engineered and selected a transgenic tomato genotype (TOMAVAC) that stably synthesized an antigenic S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2. Two-course spaced force-feeding of mice with ≈5.4 μg/ml TOMAVAC increased up to 16-fold the synthesis of RBD-specific NAbs in blood serum and the significant induction of S-IgA in intestinal lavage fluid. In a surrogate virus neutralization test, TOMAVAC-induced NAbs had 15-25% viral neutralizing activity. The results suggested early evidence of the immunogenicity and protectivity of TOMAVAC against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Furthermore, we observed a positive trend of statistically significant 1.2-fold (average of +42.28 BAU/ml) weekly increase in NAbs in the volunteers' serum relative to the initial day. No severe side effects were observed, preliminarily supporting the safety of TOMAVAC. With the completion of future large-scale studies, higher-generation TOMAVAC should be a cost-effective, ecologically friendly, and widely applicable novel-generation COVID-19 vaccine, providing two-layered protection against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zabardast T Buriev
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Shukhrat E Shermatov
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Dilshod E Usmanov
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | | | | | - Venera S Kamburova
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Bakhtiyor K Rakhmanov
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Mirzakamol S Ayubov
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Adkham N Abdullaev
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Jakhongir B Eshmurzaev
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Behzod O Mamajonov
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Akmal A Tulanov
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Adolat A Ismailova
- Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Tatyana A Petrova
- Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Ramazan J Rozumbetov
- Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Tamara U Aripova
- Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Muzaffar I Muminov
- Center of Advanced Technologies, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Khusnora Y Ermatova
- Center of Advanced Technologies, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Dilbar A Dalimova
- Center of Advanced Technologies, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Shahlo U Turdikulova
- Center of Advanced Technologies, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Abdusattor Abdukarimov
- Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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4
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Santoni M, Gutierrez-Valdes N, Pivotto D, Zanichelli E, Rosa A, Sobrino-Mengual G, Balieu J, Lerouge P, Bardor M, Cecchetto R, Compri M, Mazzariol A, Ritala A, Avesani L. Performance of plant-produced RBDs as SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic reagents: a tale of two plant platforms. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1325162. [PMID: 38239207 PMCID: PMC10794598 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1325162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for rapid and cost-effective diagnostic tools. Serological tests, particularly those measuring antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus, play a pivotal role in tracking infection dynamics and vaccine effectiveness. In this study, we aimed to develop a simple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring RBD-specific antibodies, comparing two plant-based platforms for diagnostic reagent production. We chose to retain RBD in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to prevent potential immunoreactivity issues associated with plant-specific glycans. We produced ER-retained RBD in two plant systems: a stable transformation of BY-2 plant cell culture (BY2-RBD) and a transient transformation in Nicotiana benthamiana using the MagnICON system (NB-RBD). Both systems demonstrated their suitability, with varying yields and production timelines. The plant-made proteins revealed unexpected differences in N-glycan profiles, with BY2-RBD displaying oligo-mannosidic N-glycans and NB-RBD exhibiting a more complex glycan profile. This difference may be attributed to higher recombinant protein synthesis in the N. benthamiana system, potentially overloading the ER retention signal, causing some proteins to traffic to the Golgi apparatus. When used as diagnostic reagents in ELISA, BY2-RBD outperformed NB-RBD in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and correlation with a commercial kit. This discrepancy may be due to the distinct glycan profiles, as complex glycans on NB-RBD may impact immunoreactivity. In conclusion, our study highlights the potential of plant-based systems for rapid diagnostic reagent production during emergencies. However, transient expression systems, while offering shorter timelines, introduce higher heterogeneity in recombinant protein forms, necessitating careful consideration in serological test development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Denise Pivotto
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Elena Zanichelli
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Guillermo Sobrino-Mengual
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
- Applied Plant Biotechnology Group, Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio CERCA Center, Lleida, Spain
| | - Juliette Balieu
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
| | - Patrice Lerouge
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
| | - Muriel Bardor
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
| | - Riccardo Cecchetto
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Microbiology Section, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Monica Compri
- Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, UOC Microbiologia e Virologia, Verona, Italy
| | - Annarita Mazzariol
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Microbiology Section, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Anneli Ritala
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
| | - Linda Avesani
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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5
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Zare H, Farkhondeh T, Bakherad H, Sharifi H, Shirzeyli MH, Samarghandian S, Ghasemi F. Covid-19 Prevention and Treatment by Targeting Fc-fusion Proteins: An Experience to Fight Emerging Diseases. Curr Mol Med 2024; 24:428-434. [PMID: 37038291 DOI: 10.2174/1566524023666230410093243] [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: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has been considered a major threat to human health. Effective therapeutic approaches are urgently required. Spike protein and the Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors have critical roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection. As a result, these two proteins are considered potential targets for the development of a wide variety of biotherapeutics and vaccines for controlling Covid-19. The fusion proteins have desirable medicinal properties, including high serum half-life, stability, and solubility in the body. Moreover, other Fc-fusion proteins used to treat other diseases have no known side effects. These Fc-fusion proteins are valuable biopharmaceuticals and have been proposed as therapeutic candidates for the treatment and prevention of Covid-19 owing to their potential therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Zare
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Farkhondeh
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Hamid Bakherad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Isfahan Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hengame Sharifi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Maryam Hosseinzade Shirzeyli
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Samarghandian
- Healthy Ageing Research Centre, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur. Iran
| | - Fahimeh Ghasemi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
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6
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Parthiban S, Vijeesh T, Gayathri T, Shanmugaraj B, Sharma A, Sathishkumar R. Artificial intelligence-driven systems engineering for next-generation plant-derived biopharmaceuticals. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1252166. [PMID: 38034587 PMCID: PMC10684705 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1252166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant biopharmaceuticals including antigens, antibodies, hormones, cytokines, single-chain variable fragments, and peptides have been used as vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. Plant molecular pharming is a robust platform that uses plants as an expression system to produce simple and complex recombinant biopharmaceuticals on a large scale. Plant system has several advantages over other host systems such as humanized expression, glycosylation, scalability, reduced risk of human or animal pathogenic contaminants, rapid and cost-effective production. Despite many advantages, the expression of recombinant proteins in plant system is hindered by some factors such as non-human post-translational modifications, protein misfolding, conformation changes and instability. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a vital role in various fields of biotechnology and in the aspect of plant molecular pharming, a significant increase in yield and stability can be achieved with the intervention of AI-based multi-approach to overcome the hindrance factors. Current limitations of plant-based recombinant biopharmaceutical production can be circumvented with the aid of synthetic biology tools and AI algorithms in plant-based glycan engineering for protein folding, stability, viability, catalytic activity and organelle targeting. The AI models, including but not limited to, neural network, support vector machines, linear regression, Gaussian process and regressor ensemble, work by predicting the training and experimental data sets to design and validate the protein structures thereby optimizing properties such as thermostability, catalytic activity, antibody affinity, and protein folding. This review focuses on, integrating systems engineering approaches and AI-based machine learning and deep learning algorithms in protein engineering and host engineering to augment protein production in plant systems to meet the ever-expanding therapeutics market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanian Parthiban
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Thandarvalli Vijeesh
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Thashanamoorthi Gayathri
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Balamurugan Shanmugaraj
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Ashutosh Sharma
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Centre of Bioengineering, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Ramalingam Sathishkumar
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
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7
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Mamedov T, Yuksel D, Gurbuzaslan I, Gulec B, Mammadova G, Ozdarendeli A, Pavel STI, Yetiskin H, Kaplan B, Uygut MA, Hasanova G. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 subunit induces potent neutralizing responses in mice and is effective against Delta and Omicron variants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1290042. [PMID: 38034565 PMCID: PMC10682712 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1290042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, belongs to the betacoronavirus genus. This virus has a high mutation rate, which rapidly evolves into new variants with different properties, such as increased transmissibility or immune evasion. Currently, the most prevalent global SARS-CoV-2 variant is Omicron, which is more transmissible than previous variants. Current available vaccines may be less effective against some currently existing SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Omicron variant. The S1 subunit of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been a major target for COVID-19 vaccine development. It plays a crucial role in the virus's entry into host cells and is the primary target for neutralizing antibodies. In this study, the S1 subunit of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 was engineered and produced at a high level in Nicotiana benthamiana plant. The expression level of the recombinant S1 protein was greater than the 0.5-g/kg fresh weight, and the purification yield was at least ~0.3 g of pure protein/kg of plant biomass, which would make a plant-produced S1 antigen an ideal vaccine candidate for commercialization. Purified, the plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein exhibited significantly higher binding to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Moreover, we also show that recombinant S1 protein/antigen-elicited antibodies can neutralize the Delta or Omicron variants. Collectively, our results demonstrate that a plant-produced S1 antigen could be a promising vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarlan Mamedov
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies, Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Damla Yuksel
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Irem Gurbuzaslan
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Burcu Gulec
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Gulshan Mammadova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Aykut Ozdarendeli
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Shaikh Terkis Islam Pavel
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Hazel Yetiskin
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Busra Kaplan
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Muhammet Ali Uygut
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Gulnara Hasanova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
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8
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Ruocco V, Vavra U, König-Beihammer J, Bolaños−Martínez OC, Kallolimath S, Maresch D, Grünwald-Gruber C, Strasser R. Impact of mutations on the plant-based production of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RBDs. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1275228. [PMID: 37868317 PMCID: PMC10588190 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1275228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Subunit vaccines based on recombinant viral antigens are valuable interventions to fight existing and evolving viruses and can be produced at large-scale in plant-based expression systems. The recombinant viral antigens are often derived from glycosylated envelope proteins of the virus and glycosylation plays an important role for the immunogenicity by shielding protein epitopes. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike is a principal target for vaccine development and has been produced in plants, but the yields of recombinant RBD variants were low and the role of the N-glycosylation in RBD from different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern is less studied. Here, we investigated the expression and glycosylation of six different RBD variants transiently expressed in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. All of the purified RBD variants were functional in terms of receptor binding and displayed almost full N-glycan occupancy at both glycosylation sites with predominately complex N-glycans. Despite the high structural sequence conservation of the RBD variants, we detected a variation in yield which can be attributed to lower expression and differences in unintentional proteolytic processing of the C-terminal polyhistidine tag used for purification. Glycoengineering towards a human-type complex N-glycan profile with core α1,6-fucose, showed that the reactivity of the neutralizing antibody S309 differs depending on the N-glycan profile and the RBD variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Ruocco
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia König-Beihammer
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Omayra C. Bolaños−Martínez
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Somanath Kallolimath
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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9
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Strasser R. Plant glycoengineering for designing next-generation vaccines and therapeutic proteins. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108197. [PMID: 37315875 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein glycosylation has a huge impact on biological processes in all domains of life. The type of glycan present on a recombinant glycoprotein depends on protein intrinsic features and the glycosylation repertoire of the cell type used for expression. Glycoengineering approaches are used to eliminate unwanted glycan modifications and to facilitate the coordinated expression of glycosylation enzymes or whole metabolic pathways to furnish glycans with distinct modifications. The formation of tailored glycans enables structure-function studies and optimization of therapeutic proteins used in different applications. While recombinant proteins or proteins from natural sources can be in vitro glycoengineered using glycosyltransferases or chemoenzymatic synthesis, many approaches use genetic engineering involving the elimination of endogenous genes and introduction of heterologous genes to cell-based production systems. Plant glycoengineering enables the in planta production of recombinant glycoproteins with human or animal-type glycans that resemble natural glycosylation or contain novel glycan structures. This review summarizes key achievements in glycoengineering of plants and highlights current developments aiming to make plants more suitable for the production of a diverse range of recombinant glycoproteins for innovative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Strasser
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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10
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Yu H, Worrall LJ, Berger T, Petric M, Lin BH, Vuckovic M, Robb CS, Le Q, Kenward C, Dai C, Wakeham A, Liu S, Snow B, Tobin C, Budylowski P, Guvenc F, You-Ten A, Haight J, Silvester J, Singh RP, Ahn SK, Sultana A, Poon B, Lam J, Christie-Holmes N, Ostrowski M, Gray-Owen SD, Kubli S, Mak T, Strynadka NCJ, Brunham RC. Identification of an Optimized Receptor-Binding Domain Subunit Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:981-993. [PMID: 37493438 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Current vaccine efforts to combat SARS-CoV-2 are focused on the whole spike protein administered as mRNA, viral vector, or protein subunit. However, the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) is the immunodominant portion of the spike protein, accounting for 90% of serum neutralizing activity. In this study, we constructed several versions of RBD and together with aluminum hydroxide or DDA (dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide)/TDB (d-(+)-trehalose 6,6'-dibehenate) adjuvant evaluated immunogenicity in mice. We generated human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 knock-in mice to evaluate vaccine efficacy in vivo following viral challenge. We found that 1) subdomain (SD)1 was essential for the RBD to elicit maximal immunogenicity; 2) RBDSD1 produced in mammalian HEK cells elicited better immunogenicity than did protein produced in insect or yeast cells; 3) RBDSD1 combined with the CD4 Th1 adjuvant DDA/TDB produced higher neutralizing Ab responses and stronger CD4 T cell responses than did aluminum hydroxide; 4) addition of monomeric human Fc receptor to RBDSD1 (RBDSD1Fc) significantly enhanced immunogenicity and neutralizing Ab titers; 5) the Beta version of RBDSD1Fc provided a broad range of cross-neutralization to multiple antigenic variants of concern, including Omicron; and 6) the Beta version of RBDSD1Fc with DDA/TDB provided complete protection against virus challenge in the knock-in mouse model. Thus, we have identified an optimized RBD-based subunit vaccine suitable for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yu
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Liam J Worrall
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Thorsten Berger
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin Petric
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bryan H Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marija Vuckovic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Craig S Robb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Quan Le
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Calem Kenward
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chuanbin Dai
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrew Wakeham
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shaofeng Liu
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bryan Snow
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chantal Tobin
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick Budylowski
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto High Containment Facility, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Furkan Guvenc
- Toronto High Containment Facility, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Annick You-Ten
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jillian Haight
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer Silvester
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rashim Pal Singh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sang Kyun Ahn
- Toronto High Containment Facility, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Azmiri Sultana
- Toronto High Containment Facility, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Betty Poon
- Toronto High Containment Facility, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Lam
- Toronto High Containment Facility, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natasha Christie-Holmes
- Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mario Ostrowski
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott D Gray-Owen
- Toronto High Containment Facility, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shawn Kubli
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Treadwell Therapeutics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tak Mak
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Natalie C J Strynadka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert C Brunham
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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11
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Mamedov T, Yuksel D, Gurbuzaslan I, Ilgin M, Gulec B, Mammadova G, Ozdarendeli A, Pavel STI, Yetiskin H, Kaplan B, Uygut MA, Hasanova G. Plant-produced RBD and cocktail-based vaccine candidates are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2, independently of its emerging variants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1202570. [PMID: 37600182 PMCID: PMC10433747 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1202570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel and highly pathogenic coronavirus that caused an outbreak in Wuhan City, China, in 2019 and then spread rapidly throughout the world. Although several coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are currently available for mass immunization, they are less effective against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially the Omicron (B.1.1.529). Recently, we successfully produced receptor-binding domain (RBD) variants of the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 and an antigen cocktail in Nicotiana benthamiana, which are highly produced in plants and elicited high-titer antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, based on neutralization ability, we demonstrate that plant-produced RBD and cocktail-based vaccine candidates are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2, independently of its emerging variants. These data demonstrate that plant-produced RBD and cocktail-based proteins are the most promising vaccine candidates and may protect against Delta and Omicron-mediated COVID-19. This is the first report describing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, which demonstrate significant activities against Delta and Omicron variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarlan Mamedov
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies, Ministry of Science and Education, Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Damla Yuksel
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Irem Gurbuzaslan
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Merve Ilgin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Burcu Gulec
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Gulshan Mammadova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Aykut Ozdarendeli
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Shaikh Terkis Islam Pavel
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Hazel Yetiskin
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Busra Kaplan
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Muhammet Ali Uygut
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Gulnara Hasanova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
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12
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Development of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody detection assay by using recombinant plant-produced proteins. BIOTECHNOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 38:e00796. [PMID: 37056791 PMCID: PMC10077816 DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2023.e00796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Detecting immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is vital for evaluating vaccine response and natural infection, but conventional virus neutralization test (cVNT) requires BSL3 and live viruses, and pseudo-virus neutralization test (pVNT) needs specialized equipment and trained professionals in BSL2. The surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) was developed to overcome these limitations. This study explored the use of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE2) produced from Nicotiana benthamiana for the development of an affordable neutralizing antibodies detection assay. The results showed that the plant-produced ACE2-His can bind to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2, and was used to develop sVNT with plant-produced RBD protein. The sVNT developed using plant-produced proteins showed high sensitivity and specificity when validated with a group of 30 RBD-Fc vaccinated mice sera and the results were correlated with cVNT titer. This preliminary finding suggests that the plants could offer a cost-effective platform for producing diagnostic reagents.
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13
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Margolin E, Schäfer G, Allen JD, Gers S, Woodward J, Sutherland AD, Blumenthal M, Meyers A, Shaw ML, Preiser W, Strasser R, Crispin M, Williamson AL, Rybicki EP, Chapman R. A plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 spike protein elicits heterologous immunity in hamsters. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1146234. [PMID: 36959936 PMCID: PMC10028082 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1146234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Molecular farming of vaccines has been heralded as a cheap, safe and scalable production platform. In reality, however, differences in the plant biosynthetic machinery, compared to mammalian cells, can complicate the production of viral glycoproteins. Remodelling the secretory pathway presents an opportunity to support key post-translational modifications, and to tailor aspects of glycosylation and glycosylation-directed folding. In this study, we applied an integrated host and glyco-engineering approach, NXS/T Generation™, to produce a SARS-CoV-2 prefusion spike trimer in Nicotiana benthamiana as a model antigen from an emerging virus. The size exclusion-purified protein exhibited a characteristic prefusion structure when viewed by transmission electron microscopy, and this was indistinguishable from the equivalent mammalian cell-produced antigen. The plant-produced protein was decorated with under-processed oligomannose N-glycans and exhibited a site occupancy that was comparable to the equivalent protein produced in mammalian cell culture. Complex-type glycans were almost entirely absent from the plant-derived material, which contrasted against the predominantly mature, complex glycans that were observed on the mammalian cell culture-derived protein. The plant-derived antigen elicited neutralizing antibodies against both the matched Wuhan and heterologous Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants in immunized hamsters, although titres were lower than those induced by the comparator mammalian antigen. Animals vaccinated with the plant-derived antigen exhibited reduced viral loads following challenge, as well as significant protection from SARS-CoV-2 disease as evidenced by reduced lung pathology, lower viral loads and protection from weight loss. Nonetheless, animals immunized with the mammalian cell-culture-derived protein were better protected in this challenge model suggesting that more faithfully reproducing the native glycoprotein structure and associated glycosylation of the antigen may be desirable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Margolin
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Georgia Schäfer
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joel D Allen
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jeremy Woodward
- Electron Microscope Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Andrew D Sutherland
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Melissa Blumenthal
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ann Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Megan L Shaw
- Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Anna-Lise Williamson
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Edward P Rybicki
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ros Chapman
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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14
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England C, TrejoMartinez J, PerezSanchez P, Karki U, Xu J. Plants as Biofactories for Therapeutic Proteins and Antiviral Compounds to Combat COVID-19. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:617. [PMID: 36983772 PMCID: PMC10054913 DOI: 10.3390/life13030617] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had a profound impact on the world's health and economy. Although the end of the pandemic may come in 2023, it is generally believed that the virus will not be completely eradicated. Most likely, the disease will become an endemicity. The rapid development of vaccines of different types (mRNA, subunit protein, inactivated virus, etc.) and some other antiviral drugs (Remdesivir, Olumiant, Paxlovid, etc.) has provided effectiveness in reducing COVID-19's impact worldwide. However, the circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus has been constantly mutating with the emergence of multiple variants, which makes control of COVID-19 difficult. There is still a pressing need for developing more effective antiviral drugs to fight against the disease. Plants have provided a promising production platform for both bioactive chemical compounds (small molecules) and recombinant therapeutics (big molecules). Plants naturally produce a diverse range of bioactive compounds as secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, terpenoids/terpenes and polyphenols, which are a rich source of countless antiviral compounds. Plants can also be genetically engineered to produce valuable recombinant therapeutics. This molecular farming in plants has an unprecedented opportunity for developing vaccines, antibodies, and other biologics for pandemic diseases because of its potential advantages, such as low cost, safety, and high production volume. This review summarizes the latest advancements in plant-derived drugs used to combat COVID-19 and discusses the prospects and challenges of the plant-based production platform for antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corbin England
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
- Molecular Biosciences Program, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | | | - Paula PerezSanchez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Uddhab Karki
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
- Molecular Biosciences Program, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Jianfeng Xu
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
- College of Agriculture, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
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15
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Kovalenko A, Ryabchevskaya E, Evtushenko E, Nikitin N, Karpova O. Recombinant Protein Vaccines against Human Betacoronaviruses: Strategies, Approaches and Progress. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:1701. [PMID: 36675218 PMCID: PMC9863728 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021701] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Betacoronaviruses have already troubled humanity more than once. In 2002-2003 and 2012, the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, respectively, caused outbreaks of respiratory syndromes with a fatal outcome. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become a pandemic. These three coronaviruses belong to the genus Betacoronavirus and have a zoonotic origin. The emergence of new coronavirus infections in the future cannot be ruled out, and vaccination is the main way to prevent the spread of the infection. Previous experience in the development of vaccines against SARS and MERS has helped to develop a number of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in a fairly short time. Among them, there are quite a few recombinant protein vaccines, which seem to be very promising in terms of safety, minimization of side effects, storage and transportation conditions. The problem of developing a universal betacoronavirus vaccine is also still relevant. Here, we summarize the information on the designing of vaccines based on recombinant proteins against highly pathogenic human betacoronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nikolai Nikitin
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
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16
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Pitino M, Fleites LA, Shrum L, Heck M, Shatters RG. Plant production of high affinity nanobodies that block SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with its receptor, human angiotensin converting enzyme. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1045337. [PMID: 36619377 PMCID: PMC9822723 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1045337] [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: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies® (VHH antibodies), are small peptides that represent the antigen binding domain, VHH of unique single domain antibodies (heavy chain only antibodies, HcAb) derived from camelids. Here, we demonstrate production of VHH nanobodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins in the solanaceous plant Nicotiana benthamiana through transient expression and their subsequent detection verified through western blot. We demonstrate that these nanobodies competitively inhibit binding between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and its human receptor protein, angiotensin converting enzyme 2. There has been significant interest and a number of publications on the use of plants as biofactories and even some reports of producing nanobodies in plants. Our data demonstrate that functional nanobodies blocking a process necessary to initiate SARS-CoV-2 infection into mammalian cells can be produced in plants. This opens the alternative of using plants in a scheme to rapidly respond to therapeutic needs for emerging pathogens in human medicine and agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michelle Heck
- Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Robert G. Shatters
- U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Fort Pierce, FL, United States,*Correspondence: Robert G. Shatters Jr,
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17
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Demone J, Maltseva M, Nourimand M, Nasr-Sharif M, Galipeau Y, Alarcon EI, Langlois MA, MacLean AM. Scalable agroinfiltration-based production of SARS-CoV-2 antigens for use in diagnostic assays and subunit vaccines. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277668. [PMID: 36516116 PMCID: PMC9749978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Agroinfiltration is a method used in biopharming to support plant-based biosynthesis of therapeutic proteins such as antibodies and viral antigens involved in vaccines. Major advantages of generating proteins in plants is the low cost, massive scalability and the rapid yield of the technology. Herein, we report the agroinfiltration-based production of glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein. We show that it exhibits high-affinity binding to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and displays folding similar to antigen produced in mammalian expression systems. Moreover, our plant-expressed RBD was readily detected by IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies from the serum of SARS-CoV-2 infected and vaccinated individuals. We further demonstrate that binding of plant-expressed RBD to ACE2 is efficiently neutralized by these antibodies. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that recombinant RBD produced via agroinfiltration exhibits suitable biochemical and antigenic features for use in serological and neutralization assays, and in subunit vaccine platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Demone
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mariam Maltseva
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maryam Nourimand
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mina Nasr-Sharif
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yannick Galipeau
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emilio I. Alarcon
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- BEaTS Research, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc-André Langlois
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (CI3), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail: (AMM); (MAL)
| | - Allyson M. MacLean
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail: (AMM); (MAL)
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18
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High-Yield Production of Chimeric Hepatitis E Virus-Like Particles Bearing the M2e Influenza Epitope and Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 in Plants Using Viral Vectors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415684. [PMID: 36555326 PMCID: PMC9779006 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Capsid protein of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is capable of self-assembly into virus-like particles (VLPs) when expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Such VLPs could be used as carriers of antigens for vaccine development. In this study, we obtained VLPs based on truncated coat protein of HEV bearing the M2e peptide of Influenza A virus or receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (RBD). We optimized the immunogenic epitopes' presentation by inserting them into the protruding domain of HEV ORF2 at position Tyr485. The fusion proteins were expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants using self-replicating potato virus X (PVX)-based vector. The fusion protein HEV/M2, targeted to the cytosol, was expressed at the level of about 300-400 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue and appeared to be soluble. The fusion protein was purified using metal affinity chromatography under native conditions with the final yield about 200 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue. The fusion protein HEV/RBD, targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum, was expressed at about 80-100 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue; the yield after purification was up to 20 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue. The recombinant proteins HEV/M2 and HEV/RBD formed nanosized virus-like particles that could be recognized by antibodies against inserted epitopes. The ELISA assay showed that antibodies of COVID-19 patients can bind plant-produced HEV/RBD virus-like particles. This study shows that HEV capsid protein is a promising carrier for presentation of foreign antigen.
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19
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Mardanova ES, Kotlyarov RY, Ravin NV. Rapid Transient Expression of Receptor-Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 and the Conserved M2e Peptide of Influenza A Virus Linked to Flagellin in Nicotiana benthamiana Plants Using Self-Replicating Viral Vector. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11243425. [PMID: 36559537 PMCID: PMC9785242 DOI: 10.3390/plants11243425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The development of recombinant vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A is an important task. The combination of the conserved influenza A antigen, the extracellular domain of the transmembrane protein M2 (M2e), and the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (RBD) provides the opportunity to develop a bivalent vaccine against these infections. The fusion of antigens with bacterial flagellin, the ligand for Toll-like receptor 5 and potent mucosal adjuvant, may increase the immunogenicity of the candidate vaccines and enable intranasal immunization. In this study, we report the transient expression of RBD alone, RBD coupled with four copies of M2e, and fusions of RBD and RBD-4M2e with flagellin in Nicotiana benthamiana plants using the self-replicating potato virus X-based vector pEff. The yields of purified recombinant proteins per gram of fresh leaf tissue were about 20 µg for RBD, 50-60 µg for RBD-4M2e and the fusion of RBD with flagellin, and about 90 µg for RBD-4M2e fused to flagellin. Targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum enabled the production of glycosylated recombinant proteins comprising RBD. Our results show that plant-produced RBD and RBD-4M2e could be further used for the development of subunit vaccines against COVID-19 and a bivalent vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza A, while flagellin fusions could be used for the development of intranasal vaccines.
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20
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Harnessing the Potential of Plant Expression System towards the Production of Vaccines for the Prevention of Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10122064. [PMID: 36560473 PMCID: PMC9782824 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10122064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the most common gynecological malignant tumor worldwide, and it remains a major health problem among women, especially in developing countries. Despite the significant research efforts employed for tumor prevention, cervical cancer ranks as the leading cause of cancer death. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most important risk factor for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease, for which early detection could increase survival rates. Immunotherapies represent a promising approach in the treatment of cancer, and several potential candidates are in clinical trials, while some are available in the market. However, equal access to available HPV vaccines is limited due to their high cost, which remains a global challenge for cervical cancer prevention. The implementation of screening programs, disease control systems, and medical advancement in developed countries reduce the serious complications associated with the disease somewhat; however, the incidence and prevalence of cervical cancer in low-income and middle-income countries continues to gradually increase, making it the leading cause of mortality, largely due to the unaffordable and inaccessible anti-cancer therapeutic options. In recent years, plants have been considered as a cost-effective production system for the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and other biopharmaceuticals. Several proof-of-concept studies showed the possibility of producing recombinant biopharmaceuticals for cancer immunotherapy in a plant platform. This review summarizes the current knowledge and therapeutic options for the prevention of cervical cancer and discusses the potential of the plant expression platform to produce affordable HPV vaccines.
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Song S, Kim H, Jang EY, Jeon H, Diao H, Khan MRI, Lee M, Lee YJ, Nam J, Kim S, Kim Y, Sohn E, Hwang I, Choi J. SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer vaccine expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana adjuvanted with Alum elicits protective immune responses in mice. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:2298-2312. [PMID: 36062974 PMCID: PMC9538723 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spurred rapid development of vaccines as part of the public health response. However, the general strategy used to construct recombinant trimeric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) proteins in mammalian cells is not completely adaptive to molecular farming. Therefore, we generated several constructs of recombinant S proteins for high expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Intramuscular injection of N. benthamiana-expressed Sct vaccine (NSct Vac) into Balb/c mice elicited both humoral and cellular immune responses, and booster doses increased neutralizing antibody titres. In human angiotensin-converting enzyme knock-in mice, two doses of NSct Vac induced anti-S and neutralizing antibodies, which cross-neutralized Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants. Survival rates after lethal challenge with SARS-CoV-2 were up to 80%, without significant body weight loss, and viral titres in lung tissue fell rapidly, with no infectious virus detectable at 7-day post-infection. Thus, plant-derived NSct Vac could be a candidate COVID-19 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi‐Jian Song
- Department of Life SciencePohang University of Science and TechnologyPohangKorea
| | - Heeyeon Kim
- Division of Acute Viral Disease, Center for Emerging Virus ResearchNational Institute of Infectious Diseases, Korea National Institute of HealthCheongjuKorea
| | - Eun Young Jang
- Division of Vaccine Research, Vaccine Research CenterNational Institute of Infectious Diseases, Korea National Institute of HealthCheongjuKorea
| | - Hyungmin Jeon
- Department of Life SciencePohang University of Science and TechnologyPohangKorea
| | - Hai‐Ping Diao
- Department of Life SciencePohang University of Science and TechnologyPohangKorea
| | - Md Rezaul Islam Khan
- Department of Life SciencePohang University of Science and TechnologyPohangKorea
| | - Mi‐Seon Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases InspectionJeju Special Self‐Governing Province Institute of Environment ResearchJejuKorea
| | - Young Jae Lee
- Division of Vaccine Research, Vaccine Research CenterNational Institute of Infectious Diseases, Korea National Institute of HealthCheongjuKorea
| | - Jeong‐hyun Nam
- Division of Vaccine Research, Vaccine Research CenterNational Institute of Infectious Diseases, Korea National Institute of HealthCheongjuKorea
| | - Seong‐Ryeol Kim
- Division of Acute Viral Disease, Center for Emerging Virus ResearchNational Institute of Infectious Diseases, Korea National Institute of HealthCheongjuKorea
| | - Young‐Jin Kim
- Department of Life SciencePohang University of Science and TechnologyPohangKorea
| | - Eun‐Ju Sohn
- BioApplications Inc.Pohang Technopark ComplexPohangSouth Korea
| | - Inhwan Hwang
- Department of Life SciencePohang University of Science and TechnologyPohangKorea
| | - Jang‐Hoon Choi
- Division of Acute Viral Disease, Center for Emerging Virus ResearchNational Institute of Infectious Diseases, Korea National Institute of HealthCheongjuKorea
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22
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Plant Molecular Pharming and Plant-Derived Compounds towards Generation of Vaccines and Therapeutics against Coronaviruses. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10111805. [DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The current century has witnessed infections of pandemic proportions caused by Coronaviruses (CoV) including severe acute respiratory syndrome-related CoV (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome-related CoV (MERS-CoV) and the recently identified SARS-CoV2. Significantly, the SARS-CoV2 outbreak, declared a pandemic in early 2020, has wreaked devastation and imposed intense pressure on medical establishments world-wide in a short time period by spreading at a rapid pace, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, there is a compelling need to combat and contain the CoV infections. The current review addresses the unique features of the molecular virology of major Coronaviruses that may be tractable towards antiviral targeting and design of novel preventative and therapeutic intervention strategies. Plant-derived vaccines, in particular oral vaccines, afford safer, effectual and low-cost avenues to develop antivirals and fast response vaccines, requiring minimal infrastructure and trained personnel for vaccine administration in developing countries. This review article discusses recent developments in the generation of plant-based vaccines, therapeutic/drug molecules, monoclonal antibodies and phytochemicals to preclude and combat infections caused by SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Efficacious plant-derived antivirals could contribute significantly to combating emerging and re-emerging pathogenic CoV infections and help stem the tide of any future pandemics.
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23
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Rebelo BA, Folgado A, Ferreira AC, Abranches R. Production of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and its Receptor Binding Domain in plant cell suspension cultures. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:995429. [PMID: 36340353 PMCID: PMC9634662 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.995429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2, has prompted the scientific community to rapidly develop efficient and specific diagnostics and therapeutics. A number of avenues have been explored, including the manufacture of COVID-related proteins to be used as reagents for diagnostics or treatment. The production of RBD and Spike proteins was previously achieved in eukaryotic cells, mainly mammalian cell cultures, while the production in microbial systems has been unsuccessful until now. Here we report the effective production of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in two plant model systems. We established transgenic tobacco BY-2 and Medicago truncatula A17 cell suspension cultures stably producing the full-length Spike and RBD recombinant proteins. For both proteins, various glycoforms were obtained, with higher yields in Medicago cultures than BY-2. This work highlights that RBD and Spike can be secreted into the culture medium, which will impact subsequent purification and downstream processing costs. Analysis of the culture media indicated the presence of the high molecular weight Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Although the production yields still need improvement to compete with mammalian systems, this is the first report showing that plant cell suspension cultures are able to produce the high molecular weight Spike protein. This finding strengthens the potential of plant cell cultures as production platforms for large complex proteins.
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24
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Khorattanakulchai N, Srisutthisamphan K, Shanmugaraj B, Manopwisedjaroen S, Rattanapisit K, Panapitakkul C, Kemthong T, Suttisan N, Malaivijitnond S, Thitithanyanont A, Jongkaewwattana A, Phoolcharoen W. A recombinant subunit vaccine candidate produced in plants elicits neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants in macaques. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:901978. [PMID: 36247553 PMCID: PMC9555276 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.901978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic in 2019, the development of effective vaccines to combat the infection has been accelerated. With the recent emergence of highly transmissible severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOC), there are concerns regarding the immune escape from vaccine-induced immunity. Hence an effective vaccine against VOC with a potent immune response is required. Our previous study confirmed that the two doses of the plant-produced receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 fused with the Fc region of human IgG1, namely Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1, showed high immunogenicity in mice and monkeys. Here, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity of a three-dose intramuscular injection of Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1 on days 0, 21, and 133 in cynomolgus monkeys. At 14 days after immunization, blood samples were collected to determine RBD-specific antibody titer, neutralizing antibody, and pseudovirus neutralizing antibody titers. Immunized monkeys developed significantly high levels of antigen-specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 compared to the control group. Interestingly, the sera collected from immunized monkeys also showed a neutralizing antibody response against the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs; Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. These findings demonstrate that a three-dose regimen of Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1 vaccine elicits neutralizing immune response against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narach Khorattanakulchai
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kanjana Srisutthisamphan
- Virology and Cell Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | | | | | | | - Chalisa Panapitakkul
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Taratorn Kemthong
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand-Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi, Thailand
| | - Nutchanat Suttisan
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand-Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi, Thailand
| | | | | | - Anan Jongkaewwattana
- Virology and Cell Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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25
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Khorattanakulchai N, Manopwisedjaroen S, Rattanapisit K, Panapitakkul C, Kemthong T, Suttisan N, Srisutthisamphan K, Malaivijitnond S, Thitithanyanont A, Jongkaewwattana A, Shanmugaraj B, Phoolcharoen W. Receptor binding domain proteins of SARS-CoV-2 variants produced in Nicotiana benthamiana elicit neutralizing antibodies against variants of concern. J Med Virol 2022; 94:4265-4276. [PMID: 35615895 PMCID: PMC9348024 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The constantly emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concerns (VOCs) with mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) spread rapidly and has become a severe public health problem worldwide. Effective vaccines and optimized booster vaccination strategies are thus highly required. Here, the gene encoding six different RBD (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kappa, Delta, and Epsilon variants) along with the Fc fragment of human IgG1 (RBD-Fc) was cloned into plant expression vector and produced in Nicotiana benthamiana by transient expression. Further, the immunogenicity of plant-produced variant RBD-Fc fusion proteins were tested in cynomolgus monkeys. Each group of cynomolgus monkeys was immunized three times intramuscularly with variant RBD-Fc vaccines at Day 0, 21, 42, and neutralizing antibody responses were evaluated against ancestral (Wuhan), Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants. The results showed that three doses of the RBD-Fc vaccine significantly enhanced the immune response against all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants. In particular, the vaccines based on Delta and Epsilon mutant RBD elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against ancestral (Wuhan), Alpha, and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants whereas Beta and Gamma RBD-Fc vaccines elicit neutralizing antibodies against their respective SARS-CoV-2 strains. The Delta and Epsilon RBD-Fc based vaccines displayed cross-reactive immunogenicity and might be applied as a booster vaccine to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies. These proof-of-concept results will be helpful for the development of plant-derived RBD-Fc-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narach Khorattanakulchai
- Center of Excellence in Plant‐produced PharmaceuticalsChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
| | | | | | - Chalisa Panapitakkul
- Center of Excellence in Plant‐produced PharmaceuticalsChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Taratorn Kemthong
- National Primate Research Center of ThailandChulalongkorn UniversitySaraburiThailand
| | - Nutchanat Suttisan
- National Primate Research Center of ThailandChulalongkorn UniversitySaraburiThailand
| | - Kanjana Srisutthisamphan
- Virology and Cell Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC)National Science and Technology Development AgencyPathumthaniThailand
| | | | | | - Anan Jongkaewwattana
- Virology and Cell Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC)National Science and Technology Development AgencyPathumthaniThailand
| | | | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant‐produced PharmaceuticalsChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
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26
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Rahbar Z, Nazarian S, Dorostkar R, Sotoodehnejadnematalahi F, Amani J. Recombinant expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) in Escherichia coli and its immunogenicity in mice. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022; 25:1110-1116. [PMID: 36246069 PMCID: PMC9526882 DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2022.65045.14333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), giving rise to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has become a danger to wellbeing worldwide. Thus, finding efficient and safe vaccines for COVID-19 is of great importance. As a basic step amid contamination, SARS-CoV-2 employs the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein to lock in with the receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells. SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) is the main human antibody target for developing vaccines and virus inhibitors, as well as neutralizing antibodies. A bacterial procedure was developed for the expression and purification of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this research study, RBD was expressed by Escherichia coli and purified with Ni-NTA chromatography. Then it was affirmed by the western blot test. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of RBD recombinant protein were assessed on BALB/c mice. Additionally, RBD recombinant protein was tested by ELISA utilizing sera of COVID-19 healing patients contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 wild type and Delta variation. RESULTS Indirect ELISA was able to detect the protein RBD in serum of the immunized mouse expressed in E. coli. The inactive SARS-CoV2 was detected by antibodies within the serum of immunized mice. Serum antibodies from individuals recovered from Covid19 reacted to the expressed protein. CONCLUSION Our findings showed that RBD is of great importance in vaccine design and it can be used to develop recombinant vaccines through induction of antibodies against RBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Rahbar
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ruhollah Dorostkar
- Applied Virology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Iran
| | | | - Jafar Amani
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, System Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author: Jafar Amani. Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Vanak Sq. Molasadra St. Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98-21-82482592; Fax: +98- 21-88068924;
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27
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Shanmugaraj B, Khorattanakulchai N, Panapitakkul C, Malla A, Im-Erbsin R, Inthawong M, Sunyakumthorn P, Hunsawong T, Klungthong C, Reed MC, Kemthong T, Suttisan N, Malaivijitnond S, Srimangkornkaew P, Klinkhamhom A, Manopwisedjaroen S, Thitithanyanont A, Taychakhoonavudh S, Phoolcharoen W. Preclinical evaluation of a plant-derived SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine: Protective efficacy, immunogenicity, safety, and toxicity. Vaccine 2022; 40:4440-4452. [PMID: 35697573 PMCID: PMC9167921 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.05.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission has become a global priority. Previously, we showed that a protein subunit vaccine that was developed based on the fusion of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) to the Fc portion of human IgG1 (RBD-Fc), produced in Nicotiana benthamiana, and adjuvanted with alum, namely, Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1, induced potent immunological responses in both mice and cynomolgus monkeys. Hence, this study evaluated the protective efficacy, safety, and toxicity of Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1 in K18-hACE2 mice, monkeys and Wistar rats. Two doses of vaccine were administered three weeks apart on Days 0 and 21. The administration of the vaccine to K18-hACE2 mice reduced viral loads in the lungs and brains of the vaccinated animals and protected the mice against challenge with SARS-CoV-2. In monkeys, the results of safety pharmacology tests, general clinical observations, and a core battery of studies of three vital systems, namely, the central nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, did not reveal any safety concerns. The toxicology study of the vaccine in rats showed no vaccine-related pathological changes, and all the animals remained healthy under the conditions of this study. Furthermore, the vaccine did not cause any abnormal toxicity in rats and was clinically tolerated even at the highest tested concentration. In addition, general health status, body temperature, local toxicity at the administration site, hematology, and blood chemistry parameters were also monitored. Overall, this work presents the results of the first systematic study of the safety profile of a plant-derived vaccine, Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 1; this approach can be considered a viable strategy for the development of vaccines against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Narach Khorattanakulchai
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Chalisa Panapitakkul
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | | | - Rawiwan Im-Erbsin
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Army Medical Directorate-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Manutsanun Inthawong
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Army Medical Directorate-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Piyanate Sunyakumthorn
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Army Medical Directorate-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Taweewun Hunsawong
- Department of Virology, U.S. Army Medical Directorate-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Chonticha Klungthong
- Department of Virology, U.S. Army Medical Directorate-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Matthew C Reed
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Army Medical Directorate-Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Taratorn Kemthong
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand-Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi 18110, Thailand
| | - Nutchanat Suttisan
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand-Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi 18110, Thailand
| | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand-Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi 18110, Thailand
| | | | - Aekkarin Klinkhamhom
- National Laboratory Animal Center, Mahidol University, Nakorn Pathom 73170, Thailand
| | | | - Arunee Thitithanyanont
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Suthira Taychakhoonavudh
- Department of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
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28
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Abstract
The idea of producing vaccines in plants originated in the late 1980s. Initially, it was contemplated that this notion could facilitate the concept of edible vaccines, making them more cost effective and easily accessible. Initial studies on edible vaccines focussed on the use of a variety of different transgenic plant host species for the production of vaccine antigens. However, adequate expression levels of antigens, the difficulties predicted with administration of consistent doses, and regulatory rules required for growth of transgenic plants gave way to the development of vaccine candidates that could be purified and administered parenterally. The field has subsequently advanced with improved expression techniques including a shift from using transgenic to transient expression of antigens, refinement of purification protocols, a deeper understanding of the biological processes and a wealth of evidence of immunogenicity and efficacy of plant-produced vaccine candidates, all contributing to the successful practice of what is now known as biopharming or plant molecular farming. The establishment of this technology has resulted in the development of many different types of vaccine candidates including subunit vaccines and various different types of nanoparticle vaccines targeting a wide variety of bacterial and viral diseases. This has brought further acceptance of plants as a suitable platform for vaccine production and in this review, we discuss the most recent advances in the production of vaccines in plants for human use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Stander
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Sandiswa Mbewana
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Ann E Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa.
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29
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Ceballo Y, López A, González CE, Ramos O, Andújar I, Martínez RU, Hernández A. Transient production of receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 in Nicotiana benthamiana plants induces specific antibodies in immunized mice. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:6113-6123. [PMID: 35526244 PMCID: PMC9079970 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07402-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has currently affected millions of people around the world. To combat the rapid spread of COVID-19 there is an urgent need to implement technological platforms for the production of vaccines, drugs and diagnostic systems by the scientific community and pharmaceutical companies. The SARS-CoV-2 virus enters the cells by the interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) present in the viral surface spike protein and its human receptor ACE2. The RBD protein is therefore considered as the target for potential subunit-based vaccines. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluate the use of Nicotiana benthamiana plants as the host to transiently-producing recombinant RBD (RBDr) protein. The identity of the plant-produced RBDr was confirmed by immune assays and mass spectrometry. Immunogenicity was confirmed through the specific antibodies generated in all of the immunized mice compared to the PBS treated group. CONCLUSIONS In conclusions, the immunogenicity of the RBDr produced in N. benthamiana was confirmed. These findings support the use of plants as an antigen expression system for the rapid development of vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanaysi Ceballo
- Bioreactors Laboratory, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba.
- Plant Biotechnology Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, 10600, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Alina López
- Bioreactors Laboratory, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Carlos E González
- Bioreactors Laboratory, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Osmany Ramos
- Bioreactors Laboratory, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Iván Andújar
- Proteomic Laboratory, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Ricardo U Martínez
- Diagnostic Laboratory, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Abel Hernández
- Bioreactors Laboratory, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
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Boonyayothin W, Kobtrakul K, Khositanon P, Vimolmangkang S, Phoolcharoen W. Development of a plant-produced recombinant monoclonal antibody against Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) for immunoassay application. BIOTECHNOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 34:e00725. [PMID: 35686006 PMCID: PMC9171438 DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2022.e00725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This is the first report of the production of anti- Δ9-THC mAb in N. benthamiana which are the cost-effective and rapidly production platform. Moreover, plant-produced mAb provide the efficiency against Δ9-THC and it can be applied for the further immunoassay application.
Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is mainly a psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant. The immunoassay, an alternative method to HPLC and GC, can be used to analyze and measure Δ9-THC. This method provides high sensitivity and specificity by using antibodies specific to the desired substances. Currently, plants provide several benefits over traditional expression platforms to produce recombinant antibodies, such as lower production costs and scalability. Therefore, this study aims to produce a recombinant anti-Δ9-THC monoclonal antibody (mAb) with transient expression using N. benthamiana. The highest expression level of the plant-produced mAb was estimated to be 0.33 ug/g leaf fresh weight. Our results demonstrate that the antibody provided in vitro affinity binding related to Δ9-THC and the metabolites of Δ9-THC, such as cannabinol (CBN). Moreover, the antibody also showed binding efficiency with Δ9-THC in cannabis extract. Moreover, plant-produced mAbs provide efficiency against Δ9-THC and can be applied for further immunoassay applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanuttha Boonyayothin
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology Program, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Khwanlada Kobtrakul
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology Program, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Petlada Khositanon
- Research Cluster for Cannabis and its Natural Substances, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sornkanok Vimolmangkang
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Research Cluster for Cannabis and its Natural Substances, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Corresponding author at: Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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31
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Weidenbacher PAB, Rodriguez-Rivera FP, Sanyal M, Visser JA, Do J, Bertozzi CR, Kim PS. Chemically Modified Bacterial Sacculi as a Vaccine Microparticle Scaffold. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:1184-1196. [PMID: 35412807 PMCID: PMC9127789 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Vaccine scaffolds
and carrier proteins increase the immunogenicity
of subunit vaccines. Here, we developed, characterized, and demonstrated
the efficacy of a novel microparticle vaccine scaffold comprised of
bacterial peptidoglycan (PGN), isolated as an entire sacculi. The
PGN microparticles contain bio-orthogonal chemical handles allowing
for site-specific attachment of immunogens. We first evaluated the
purification, integrity, and immunogenicity of PGN microparticles
derived from a variety of bacterial species. We then optimized PGN
microparticle modification conditions; Staphylococcus
aureus PGN microparticles containing azido-d-alanine yielded robust conjugation to immunogens. We then demonstrated
that this vaccine scaffold elicits comparable immunostimulation to
the conventional carrier protein, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH).
We further modified the S. aureus PGN
microparticle to contain the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD)—this
conjugate vaccine elicited neutralizing antibody titers comparable
to those elicited by the KLH-conjugated RBD. Collectively, these findings
suggest that chemically modified bacterial PGN microparticles are
a conjugatable and biodegradable microparticle scaffold capable of
eliciting a robust immune response toward an antigen of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payton A.-B. Weidenbacher
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Frances P. Rodriguez-Rivera
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Mrinmoy Sanyal
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Joshua A. Visser
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Jonathan Do
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Carolyn R. Bertozzi
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Peter S. Kim
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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32
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Potential for a Plant-Made SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody as a Synergetic Cocktail Component. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10050772. [PMID: 35632528 PMCID: PMC9145534 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10050772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a public health crisis over the last two years. Monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based therapeutics against the spike (S) protein have been shown to be effective treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially the original viral strain. However, the current mAbs produced in mammalian cells are expensive and might be unaffordable for many. Furthermore, the emergence of variants of concern demands the development of strategies to prevent mutant escape from mAb treatment. Using a cocktail of mAbs that bind to complementary neutralizing epitopes is one such strategy. In this study, we use Nicotiana benthamiana plants in an effort to expedite the development of efficacious and affordable antibody cocktails against SARS-CoV-2. We show that two mAbs can be highly expressed in plants and are correctly assembled into IgG molecules. Moreover, they retain target epitope recognition and, more importantly, neutralize multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants. We also show that one plant-made mAb has neutralizing synergy with other mAbs that we developed in hybridomas. This is the first report of a plant-made mAb to be assessed as a potential component of a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing cocktail. This work may offer a strategy for using plants to quickly develop mAb cocktail-based therapeutics against emerging viral diseases with high efficacy and low costs.
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Ruocco V, Strasser R. Transient Expression of Glycosylated SARS-CoV-2 Antigens in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:1093. [PMID: 35448821 PMCID: PMC9033091 DOI: 10.3390/plants11081093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic very dramatically shows that the world lacks preparedness for novel viral diseases. In addition to newly emerging viruses, many known pathogenic viruses such as influenza are constantly evolving, leading to frequent outbreaks with severe diseases and deaths. Hence, infectious viruses are a recurrent burden to our daily life, and powerful strategies to stop the spread of human pathogens and disease progression are of utmost importance. Transient plant-based protein expression is a technology that allows fast and highly flexible manufacturing of recombinant viral proteins and, thus, can contribute to infectious disease detection and prevention. This review highlights recent progress in the transient production of viral glycoproteins in N. benthamiana with a focus on SARS-CoV-2-derived viral antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria;
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Hanittinan O, Rattanapisit K, Malla A, Tharakhet K, Ketloy C, Prompetchara E, Phoolcharoen W. Feasibility of plant-expression system for production of recombinant anti-human IgE: An alternative production platform for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1012583. [PMID: 36531354 PMCID: PMC9755585 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1012583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Omalizumab, the anti-immunoglobulin IgE antibody is the only approved and available monoclonal antibody as an auxiliary medicament for the severe respiratory allergic reactions. It forms small size immune complexes by binding to free IgE, thereby inhibiting the interaction of IgE with its receptors. Additionally, the anti-IgE can also differently shape the airflow by impeding the stimulation of IgE receptors present on structural cells in the respiratory tract. The present study aimed to use plants as an expression system for anti-human IgE antibody production, using Nicotiana benthamiana as hosts. Recombinant Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing heavy chain (HC) and light chain (LC) domains of anti-human IgE were co-transformed in N. benthamiana. The assembling of the antibody and its expression was detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. The functional ability of the anti-IgE antibody was determined via its binding capacity with target IgE by ELISA and the inhibition of basophil activation. The anti-human IgE mAb generated in plants was shown to be effective in binding to its target IgE and inhibit the IgE-crosslink in RS-ATL8 reporter cells. Although, antibody yield and purification process have to be further optimized, this study demonstrates the use of plant expression system as a promising platform for the production of Omalizumab which showed a comparable in vitro function to that of commercial Omalizumab (Xolair) in the inhibition of basophil activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oranicha Hanittinan
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Kittipan Tharakhet
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chutitorn Ketloy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Eakachai Prompetchara
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Eakachai Prompetchara, ; Waranyoo Phoolcharoen,
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Eakachai Prompetchara, ; Waranyoo Phoolcharoen,
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Murugan C, Ramamoorthy S, Kuppuswamy G, Murugan RK, Sivalingam Y, Sundaramurthy A. COVID-19: A review of newly formed viral clades, pathophysiology, therapeutic strategies and current vaccination tasks. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 193:1165-1200. [PMID: 34710479 PMCID: PMC8545698 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.10.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Today, the world population is facing an existential threat by an invisible enemy known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) or COVID-19. It is highly contagious and has infected a larger fraction of human population across the globe on various routes of transmission. The detailed knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 structure and clinical aspects offers an important insight into the evolution of infection, disease progression and helps in executing the different therapies effectively. Herein, we have discussed in detail about the genome structure of SARS-CoV-2 and its role in the proteomic rational spread of different muted species and pathogenesis in infecting the host cells. The mechanisms behind the viral outbreak and its immune response, the availability of existing diagnostics techniques, the treatment efficacy of repurposed drugs and the emerging vaccine trials for the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak also have been highlighted. Furthermore, the possible antiviral effects of various herbal products and their extracted molecules in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 replication and cellular entry are also reported. Finally, we conclude our opinion on current challenges involved in the drug development, bulk production of drug/vaccines and their storage requirements, logistical procedures and limitations related to dosage trials for larger population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandran Murugan
- SRM Research Institute, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sharmiladevi Ramamoorthy
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Guruprasad Kuppuswamy
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar Murugan
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Yuvaraj Sivalingam
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Anandhakumar Sundaramurthy
- SRM Research Institute, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Chemical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu 603203, Tamil Nadu, India.
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36
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Mamedov T, Yuksel D, Ilgın M, Gürbüzaslan I, Gulec B, Mammadova G, Ozdarendeli A, Yetiskin H, Kaplan B, Islam Pavel ST, Uygut MA, Hasanova G. Production and Characterization of Nucleocapsid and RBD Cocktail Antigens of SARS-CoV-2 in Nicotiana benthamiana Plant as a Vaccine Candidate against COVID-19. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1337. [PMID: 34835268 PMCID: PMC8621474 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has put global public health at high risk, rapidly spreading around the world. Although several COVID-19 vaccines are available for mass immunization, the world still urgently needs highly effective, reliable, cost-effective, and safe SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus vaccines, as well as antiviral and therapeutic drugs, to control the COVID-19 pandemic given the emerging variant strains of the virus. Recently, we successfully produced receptor-binding domain (RBD) variants in the Nicotiana benthamiana plant as promising vaccine candidates against COVID-19 and demonstrated that mice immunized with these antigens elicited a high titer of RBD-specific antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we engineered the nucleocapsid (N) protein and co-expressed it with RBD of SARS-CoV-2 in Nicotiana benthamiana plant to produce an antigen cocktail. The purification yields were about 22 or 24 mg of pure protein/kg of plant biomass for N or N+RBD antigens, respectively. The purified plant produced N protein was recognized by N protein-specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies demonstrating specific reactivity of mAb to plant-produced N protein. In this study, for the first time, we report the co-expression of RBD with N protein to produce a cocktail antigen of SARS-CoV-2, which elicited high-titer antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, obtained data support that a plant-produced antigen cocktail, developed in this study, is a promising vaccine candidate against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarlan Mamedov
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Damla Yuksel
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Merve Ilgın
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Irem Gürbüzaslan
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Burcu Gulec
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Gulshan Mammadova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (G.H.)
| | - Aykut Ozdarendeli
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey; (A.O.); (H.Y.); (B.K.); (S.T.I.P.); (M.A.U.)
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey
| | - Hazel Yetiskin
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey; (A.O.); (H.Y.); (B.K.); (S.T.I.P.); (M.A.U.)
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey
| | - Busra Kaplan
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey; (A.O.); (H.Y.); (B.K.); (S.T.I.P.); (M.A.U.)
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey
| | - Shaikh Terkis Islam Pavel
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey; (A.O.); (H.Y.); (B.K.); (S.T.I.P.); (M.A.U.)
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey
| | - Muhammet Ali Uygut
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Turkey; (A.O.); (H.Y.); (B.K.); (S.T.I.P.); (M.A.U.)
| | - Gulnara Hasanova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07058, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (G.H.)
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37
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Polyiam K, Phoolcharoen W, Butkhot N, Srisaowakarn C, Thitithanyanont A, Auewarakul P, Hoonsuwan T, Ruengjitchatchawalya M, Mekvichitsaeng P, Roshorm YM. Immunodominant linear B cell epitopes in the spike and membrane proteins of SARS-CoV-2 identified by immunoinformatics prediction and immunoassay. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20383. [PMID: 34650130 PMCID: PMC8516869 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99642-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 continues to infect an ever-expanding number of people, resulting in an increase in the number of deaths globally. With the emergence of new variants, there is a corresponding decrease in the currently available vaccine efficacy, highlighting the need for greater insights into the viral epitope profile for both vaccine design and assessment. In this study, three immunodominant linear B cell epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) were identified by immunoinformatics prediction, and confirmed by ELISA with sera from Macaca fascicularis vaccinated with a SARS-CoV-2 RBD subunit vaccine. Further immunoinformatics analyses of these three epitopes gave rise to a method of linear B cell epitope prediction and selection. B cell epitopes in the spike (S), membrane (M), and envelope (E) proteins were subsequently predicted and confirmed using convalescent sera from COVID-19 infected patients. Immunodominant epitopes were identified in three regions of the S2 domain, one region at the S1/S2 cleavage site and one region at the C-terminus of the M protein. Epitope mapping revealed that most of the amino acid changes found in variants of concern are located within B cell epitopes in the NTD, RBD, and S1/S2 cleavage site. This work provides insights into B cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 as well as immunoinformatics methods for B cell epitope prediction, which will improve and enhance SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development against emergent variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanokporn Polyiam
- Division of Biotechnology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Research Unit for Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals and Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Namphueng Butkhot
- Division of Biotechnology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chanya Srisaowakarn
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Prasert Auewarakul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tawatchai Hoonsuwan
- B.F. Feed Company Limited, Prachachuen Road, Thung Song Hong, Lak Si, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marasri Ruengjitchatchawalya
- Division of Biotechnology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Phenjun Mekvichitsaeng
- Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yaowaluck Maprang Roshorm
- Division of Biotechnology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand.
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38
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Shanmugaraj B, Siriwattananon K, Malla A, Phoolcharoen W. Potential for Developing Plant-Derived Candidate Vaccines and Biologics against Emerging Coronavirus Infections. Pathogens 2021; 10:1051. [PMID: 34451516 PMCID: PMC8400130 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging human coronavirus infections in the 21st century remain a major public health crisis causing worldwide impact and challenging the global health care system. The virus is circulating in several zoonotic hosts and continuously evolving, causing occasional outbreaks due to spill-over events occurring between animals and humans. Hence, the development of effective vaccines or therapeutic interventions is the current global priority in order to reduce disease severity, frequent outbreaks, and to prevent future infections. Vaccine development for newly emerging pathogens takes a long time, which hinders rapid immunization programs. The concept of plant-based pharmaceuticals can be readily applied to meet the recombinant protein demand by means of transient expression. Plants are evolved as an expression platform, and they bring a combination of unique interests in terms of rapid scalability, flexibility, and economy for industrial-scale production of effective vaccines, diagnostic reagents, and other biopharmaceuticals. Plants offer safe biologics to fulfill emergency demands, especially during pandemic situations or outbreaks caused by emerging strains. This review highlights the features of a plant expression platform for producing recombinant biopharmaceuticals to combat coronavirus infections with emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine and biologics development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konlavat Siriwattananon
- Research Unit for Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Ashwini Malla
- Baiya Phytopharm Co., Ltd., Bangkok 10250, Thailand; (B.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Baiya Phytopharm Co., Ltd., Bangkok 10250, Thailand; (B.S.); (A.M.)
- Research Unit for Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
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39
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Mamedov T, Yuksel D, Ilgın M, Gurbuzaslan I, Gulec B, Yetiskin H, Uygut MA, Islam Pavel ST, Ozdarendeli A, Mammadova G, Say D, Hasanova G. Plant-Produced Glycosylated and In Vivo Deglycosylated Receptor Binding Domain Proteins of SARS-CoV-2 Induce Potent Neutralizing Responses in Mice. Viruses 2021; 13:1595. [PMID: 34452461 PMCID: PMC8402646 DOI: 10.3390/v13081595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly spread to more than 222 countries and has put global public health at high risk. The world urgently needs cost-effective and safe SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, antiviral, and therapeutic drugs to control it. In this study, we engineered the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and produced it in the plant Nicotiana benthamiana in a glycosylated and deglycosylated form. Expression levels of both glycosylated (gRBD) and deglycosylated (dRBD) RBD were greater than 45 mg/kg fresh weight. The purification yields were 22 mg of pure protein/kg of plant biomass for gRBD and 20 mg for dRBD, which would be sufficient for commercialization of these vaccine candidates. The purified plant-produced RBD protein was recognized by an S protein-specific monoclonal antibody, demonstrating specific reactivity of the antibody to the plant-produced RBD proteins. The SARS-CoV-2 RBD showed specific binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 receptor. In mice, the plant-produced RBD antigens elicited high titers of antibodies with a potent virus-neutralizing activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that mice immunized with plant-produced deglycosylated RBD form elicited high titer of RBD-specific antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, obtained data support that plant-produced glycosylated and in vivo deglycosylated RBD antigens, developed in this study, are promising vaccine candidates for the prevention of COVID-19.
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MESH Headings
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/metabolism
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Chlorocebus aethiops
- Glycosylation
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Neutralization Tests
- Plants, Genetically Modified
- Protein Binding
- Protein Domains
- Protein Engineering
- Protein Stability
- Receptors, Coronavirus/metabolism
- Recombinant Proteins/chemistry
- Recombinant Proteins/metabolism
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/chemistry
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/metabolism
- Nicotiana/genetics
- Nicotiana/metabolism
- Vero Cells
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarlan Mamedov
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Damla Yuksel
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Merve Ilgın
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Irem Gurbuzaslan
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Burcu Gulec
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Hazel Yetiskin
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, 38280 Kayseri, Turkey; (H.Y.); (M.A.U.); (S.T.I.P.); (A.O.)
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, 38280 Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Muhammet Ali Uygut
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, 38280 Kayseri, Turkey; (H.Y.); (M.A.U.); (S.T.I.P.); (A.O.)
| | - Shaikh Terkis Islam Pavel
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, 38280 Kayseri, Turkey; (H.Y.); (M.A.U.); (S.T.I.P.); (A.O.)
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, 38280 Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Aykut Ozdarendeli
- Department of Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, 38280 Kayseri, Turkey; (H.Y.); (M.A.U.); (S.T.I.P.); (A.O.)
- Vaccine Research, Development and Application Center, Erciyes University, 38280 Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Gulshan Mammadova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Deniz Say
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Gulnara Hasanova
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya, Turkey; (D.Y.); (M.I.); (I.G.); (B.G.); (G.M.); (D.S.); (G.H.)
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40
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Rattanapisit K, Bulaon CJI, Khorattanakulchai N, Shanmugaraj B, Wangkanont K, Phoolcharoen W. Plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) variants showed differential binding efficiency with anti-spike specific monoclonal antibodies. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253574. [PMID: 34379620 PMCID: PMC8357147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which is characterized by respiratory illness and severe pneumonia, and currently accounts for > 2.5 million deaths worldwide. Recently, diverse mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 were reported in United Kingdom (Alpha) and South Africa (Beta) strains which raise concerns over the potential increase in binding affinity towards the host cell receptor and diminished host neutralization capabilities. In order to study the effect of mutation in the binding efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) with anti-SARS-CoV/CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), we have produced SARS-CoV-2 RBD and two variants SARS-CoV-2 RBD (Alpha RBD and Beta RBD) in Nicotiana benthamiana by transient expression. Plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Fc, Alpha RBD-Fc and Beta RBD-Fc exhibited specific binding to human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor determined by ELISA. Intriguingly, the binding of plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 RBD proteins to plant-produced mAbs CR3022, B38, and H4 was found to be different depending on the variant mutation. In contrary to the plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Fc and Alpha RBD-Fc, Beta RBD-Fc variant showed weak binding affinity towards the mAbs. The result suggested that the Beta RBD variant might have acquired partial resistance to neutralizing antibodies compared to other variants. However, further studies with sera from convalescent or vaccinated individuals are required to confirm this finding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine Joy I. Bulaon
- Research Unit for Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narach Khorattanakulchai
- Research Unit for Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Kittikhun Wangkanont
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp (GCE 6302823006-1), Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Molecular Crop Research Unit (GRU 6407023008-1), Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Research Unit for Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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41
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Siriwattananon K, Manopwisedjaroen S, Shanmugaraj B, Prompetchara E, Ketloy C, Buranapraditkun S, Tharakhet K, Kaewpang P, Ruxrungtham K, Thitithanyanont A, Phoolcharoen W. Immunogenicity Studies of Plant-Produced SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain-Based Subunit Vaccine Candidate with Different Adjuvant Formulations. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9070744. [PMID: 34358160 PMCID: PMC8310282 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the rapid transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causing serious public health problems and economic burden, the development of effective vaccines is a high priority for controlling the virus spread. Our group has previously demonstrated that the plant-produced receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 fused with Fc of human IgG was capable of eliciting potent neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses in animal studies, and the immunogenicity could be improved by the addition of an alum adjuvant. Here, we performed a head-to-head comparison of different commercially available adjuvants, including aluminum hydroxide gel (alum), AddaVax (MF59), monophosphoryl lipid A from Salmonella minnesota R595 (mPLA-SM), and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), in mice by combining them with plant-produced RBD-Fc, and the differences in the immunogenicity of RBD-Fc with different adjuvants were evaluated. The specific antibody responses in terms of total IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a subtypes and neutralizing antibodies, as well as vaccine-specific T-lymphocyte responses, induced by the different tested adjuvants were compared. We observed that all adjuvants tested here induced a high level of total IgG and neutralizing antibodies, but mPLA-SM and poly (I:C) showed the induction of a balanced IgG1 and IgG2a (Th2/Th1) immune response. Further, poly (I:C) significantly increased the frequency of IFN-γ-expressing cells compared with control, whereas no significant difference was observed between the adjuvanted groups. This data revealed the adjuvants' role in enhancing the immune response of RBD-Fc vaccination and the immune profiles elicited by different adjuvants, which could prove helpful for the rational development of next-generation SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Fc subunit vaccines. However, additional research is essential to further investigate the efficacy and safety of this vaccine formulation before clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konlavat Siriwattananon
- Research Unit for Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Suwimon Manopwisedjaroen
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | | | - Eakachai Prompetchara
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula Vaccine Research Center, Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (E.P.); (C.K.); (S.B.); (K.T.); (P.K.); (K.R.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Chutitorn Ketloy
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula Vaccine Research Center, Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (E.P.); (C.K.); (S.B.); (K.T.); (P.K.); (K.R.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Supranee Buranapraditkun
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula Vaccine Research Center, Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (E.P.); (C.K.); (S.B.); (K.T.); (P.K.); (K.R.)
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kittipan Tharakhet
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula Vaccine Research Center, Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (E.P.); (C.K.); (S.B.); (K.T.); (P.K.); (K.R.)
| | - Papatsara Kaewpang
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula Vaccine Research Center, Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (E.P.); (C.K.); (S.B.); (K.T.); (P.K.); (K.R.)
| | - Kiat Ruxrungtham
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula Vaccine Research Center, Chula VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (E.P.); (C.K.); (S.B.); (K.T.); (P.K.); (K.R.)
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Arunee Thitithanyanont
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Research Unit for Plant-Produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +662-218-8359; Fax: +662-218-8357
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