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Idrovo-Hidalgo T, Pignataro MF, Bredeston LM, Elias F, Herrera MG, Pavan MF, Foscaldi S, Suireszcz M, Fernández NB, Wetzler DE, Paván CH, Craig PO, Roman EA, Ruberto LAM, Noseda DG, Ibañez LI, Czibener C, Ugalde JE, Nadra AD, Santos J, D'Alessio C. Deglycosylated RBD produced in Pichia pastoris as a low-cost sera COVID-19 diagnosis tool and a vaccine candidate. Glycobiology 2024; 34:cwad089. [PMID: 37944064 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwad089] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 outbreak, numerous tools including protein-based vaccines have been developed. The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (synonymous to Komagataella phaffii) is an eukaryotic cost-effective and scalable system for recombinant protein production, with the advantages of an efficient secretion system and the protein folding assistance of the secretory pathway of eukaryotic cells. In a previous work, we compared the expression of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor Binding Domain in P. pastoris with that in human cells. Although the size and glycosylation pattern was different between them, their protein structural and conformational features were indistinguishable. Nevertheless, since high mannose glycan extensions in proteins expressed by yeast may be the cause of a nonspecific immune recognition, we deglycosylated RBD in native conditions. This resulted in a highly pure, homogenous, properly folded and monomeric stable protein. This was confirmed by circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence spectra and by SEC-HPLC, which were similar to those of RBD proteins produced in yeast or human cells. Deglycosylated RBD was obtained at high yields in a single step, and it was efficient in distinguishing between SARS-CoV-2-negative and positive sera from patients. Moreover, when the deglycosylated variant was used as an immunogen, it elicited a humoral immune response ten times greater than the glycosylated form, producing antibodies with enhanced neutralizing power and eliciting a more robust cellular response. The proposed approach may be used to produce at a low cost, many antigens that require glycosylation to fold and express, but do not require glycans for recognition purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommy Idrovo-Hidalgo
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María F Pignataro
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 965 C1113AAD. Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luis M Bredeston
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 965 C1113AAD. Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas, (IQUIFIB), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernanda Elias
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Fundación Pablo Cassará, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Dr. César Milstein, Saladillo 2468 C1440FFX, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María G Herrera
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María F Pavan
- Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sabrina Foscaldi
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mayra Suireszcz
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia B Fernández
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diana E Wetzler
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos H Paván
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, LANAIS-PROEM, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas, (IQUIFIB), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricio O Craig
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ernesto A Roman
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas, (IQUIFIB), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas A M Ruberto
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 965, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 965, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Antártico Argentino, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto, Av. 25 de Mayo 1147, B1650HMP, San Martín, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego G Noseda
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIBio), Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Av. 25 de Mayo y Francia S/N, B1650HMP, San Martín, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lorena I Ibañez
- Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Czibener
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIBio), Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Av. 25 de Mayo y Francia S/N, B1650HMP, San Martín, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan E Ugalde
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIBio), Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Av. 25 de Mayo y Francia S/N, B1650HMP, San Martín, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandro D Nadra
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Javier Santos
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia D'Alessio
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290 C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Hotez PJ. A Journey in Science: Molecular vaccines for global child health in troubled times of anti-science. Mol Med 2024; 30:37. [PMID: 38491420 PMCID: PMC10943906 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00786-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
My scientific life in translational medicine runs in two parallel, yet often converging paths. The first, is four-decade-long commitment to develop new vaccines for parasitic and neglected tropical diseases, as well as pandemic threats. This includes a vaccine for human hookworm infection that I began as an MD-PhD student in New York City in the 1980s, and a new low-cost COVID vaccine that reached almost 100 million people in low- and middle-income countries. Alongside this life in scientific research, is one in public engagement for vaccine and neglected disease diplomacy to ensure that people who live in extreme poverty can benefit from access to biomedical innovations. A troubling element has been the daunting task of countering rising antivaccine activism, which threatens to undermine our global vaccine ecosystem. Yet, this activity may turn out to become just as important for saving lives as developing new vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Hotez
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME, Islam NY, Lee J, Pollet J, Poveda C, Strych U, Thimmiraju SR, Uzcategui NL, Versteeg L, Gorelick D. The zebrafish as a potential model for vaccine and adjuvant development. Expert Rev Vaccines 2024; 23:535-545. [PMID: 38664959 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2024.2345685] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Zebrafishes represent a proven model for human diseases and systems biology, exhibiting physiological and genetic similarities and having innate and adaptive immune systems. However, they are underexplored for human vaccinology, vaccine development, and testing. Here we summarize gaps and challenges. AREAS COVERED Zebrafish models have four potential applications: 1) Vaccine safety: The past successes in using zebrafishes to test xenobiotics could extend to vaccine and adjuvant formulations for general safety or target organs due to the zebrafish embryos' optical transparency. 2) Innate immunity: The zebrafish offers refined ways to examine vaccine effects through signaling via Toll-like or NOD-like receptors in zebrafish myeloid cells. 3) Adaptive immunity: Zebrafishes produce IgM, IgD,and two IgZ immunoglobulins, but these are understudied, due to a lack of immunological reagents for challenge studies. 4) Systems vaccinology: Due to the availability of a well-referenced zebrafish genome, transcriptome, proteome, and epigenome, this model offers potential here. EXPERT OPINION It remains unproven whether zebrafishes can be employed for testing and developing human vaccines. We are still at the hypothesis-generating stage, although it is possible to begin outlining experiments for this purpose. Through transgenic manipulation, zebrafish models could offer new paths for shaping animal models and systems vaccinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Hotez
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nelufa Yesmin Islam
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jungsoon Lee
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Syamala Rani Thimmiraju
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nestor L Uzcategui
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Leroy Versteeg
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Daniel Gorelick
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Wang X, Shi L, Wang Y, Chen J, Yang Z, Liu C, Liu X, Li Y, Zhang C, Sun A, Yan H, Sun H. Effects of the glycosylation of the receptor binding domain (RBD dimer)-based Covid-19 vaccine (ZF2001) on its humoral immunogenicity and immunoreactivity. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126874. [PMID: 37709229 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126874] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD), which is a key target for the development of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and vaccines, mediates the binding of the host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). However, the high heterogeneity of RBD glycoforms may lead to an incomplete neutralization effect and impact the immunogenicity of RBD-based vaccines (Ye et al., 2021). Here, our data suggested that the glycosylation significantly affected the humoral immunogenicity and immunoreactivity of the RBD-dimer-based Covid-19 vaccine (ZF2001) (Yang et al., 2021). Several deglycosylated types of ZF2001 (with sialic acid removed (ZF2001-ΔSA), sialic acid & O-glycans removed (ZF2001-ΔSA&O), N-glycans removed (ZF2001-ΔN), N- & O-glycans removed (ZF2001-ΔN&O)) were obtained by treatment with glycosidases. The binding affinity between deglycosylated types of ZF2001 and ACE2 was slightly weakened and that between deglycosylated types of ZF2001 and several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were also changed compared with ZF2001. The results of pseudovirus neutralization assay and binding affinity assay of all ZF2001 types revealed that the antigens with complex glycosylation had better humoral immunogenicity and immunoreactivity. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the more complex glycosylation of RBD corresponded to more hydrogen bonds formed between helper T-cell epitopes of RBD and major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II). In summary, these results demonstrated that the glycosylation of RBD affects antigen presentation, humoral immunogenicity and immunoreactivity, which may be an important consideration for vaccine design and production technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Lulu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yirong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jia Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zelan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chenglong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiaomei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Can Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China
| | - Anhui Sun
- Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, Hefei, China
| | - Huan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Hui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute for Vaccine Research and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China; Hubei Province key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei Province, China.
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Mahoney R, Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME. Global regulatory reforms to promote equitable vaccine access in the next pandemic. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002482. [PMID: 37851688 PMCID: PMC10584090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
There is broad consensus that the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic was inadequate, leading to unacceptable levels of avoidable morbidity and mortality. Three strategic missteps led to the lack of equitable vaccine access: The heavy reliance on commercial vaccine manufacturers in high-income countries (HICs) versus low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); the emergence of vaccine nationalism restricting and delaying the supply of vaccines to LMICs; and an inadequate support or recognition for LMIC national regulatory authorities. To avoid these inequities in a future pandemic, we focus on three successful vaccine development and technology transfer case studies-the Hepatitis B vaccine produced in South Korea in the 1980s; the Meningitis A vaccine for Africa led by Program for Appropriate Technologies in Health (PATH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 2000s; and a recombinant SARS CoV-2 protein-based vaccine technology from the Texas Children's Hospital transferred to India and to Indonesia. In addition to expanding support for academic or non-profit product development partnerships, our analysis finds that an essential step is the strengthening of selected LMIC regulatory systems to become Stringent Regulatory Authorities (SRAs), together with a re-prioritization of the WHO Prequalification (PQ) system to ensure early vaccine availability in LMICs especially during pandemics. Advancing LMIC National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) to Stringent Regulatory Authorities (SRAs) status will require substantial resources, but the benefits for future pandemic control and for health in LMIC would be immense. We call on the WHO, United Nation (UN) agencies and SRAs, to collaborate and implement a comprehensive roadmap to support LMIC regulators to achieve stringent status by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Mahoney
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
- James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
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Hu D, Irving AT. Massively-multiplexed epitope mapping techniques for viral antigen discovery. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1192385. [PMID: 37818363 PMCID: PMC10561112 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1192385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Following viral infection, viral antigens bind specifically to receptors on the surface of lymphocytes thereby activating adaptive immunity in the host. An epitope, the smallest structural and functional unit of an antigen, binds specifically to an antibody or antigen receptor, to serve as key sites for the activation of adaptive immunity. The complexity and diverse range of epitopes are essential to study and map for the diagnosis of disease, the design of vaccines and for immunotherapy. Mapping the location of these specific epitopes has become a hot topic in immunology and immune therapy. Recently, epitope mapping techniques have evolved to become multiplexed, with the advent of high-throughput sequencing and techniques such as bacteriophage-display libraries and deep mutational scanning. Here, we briefly introduce the principles, advantages, and disadvantages of the latest epitope mapping techniques with examples for viral antigen discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diya Hu
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, China
| | - Aaron T. Irving
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Studies, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Centre for Infection, Immunity & Cancer, Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, China
- Biomedical and Health Translational Research Centre of Zhejiang Province (BIMET), Haining, China
- College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Herman X, Far J, Peeters M, Quinton L, Chaumont F, Navarre C. In vivo deglycosylation of recombinant glycoproteins in tobacco BY-2 cells. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:1773-1784. [PMID: 37266972 PMCID: PMC10440984 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Production of recombinant pharmaceutical glycoproteins has been carried out in multiple expression systems. However, N-glycosylation, which increases heterogeneity and raises safety concerns due to the presence of non-human residues, is usually not controlled. The presence and composition of N-glycans are also susceptible to affect protein stability, function and immunogenicity. To tackle these issues, we are developing glycoengineered Nicotiana tabacum Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cell lines through knock out and ectopic expression of genes involved in the N-glycosylation pathway. Here, we report on the generation of BY-2 cell lines producing deglycosylated proteins. To this end, endoglycosidase T was co-expressed with an immunoglobulin G or glycoprotein B of human cytomegalovirus in BY-2 cell lines producing only high mannose N-glycans. Endoglycosidase T cleaves high mannose N-glycans to generate single, asparagine-linked, N-acetylglucosamine residues. The N-glycosylation profile of the secreted antibody was determined by mass spectrometry analysis. More than 90% of the N-glycans at the conserved Asn297 site were deglycosylated. Likewise, extensive deglycosylation of glycoprotein B, which possesses 18 N-glycosylation sites, was observed. N-glycan composition of gB glycovariants was assessed by in vitro enzymatic mobility shift assay and proven to be consistent with the expected glycoforms. Comparison of IgG glycovariants by differential scanning fluorimetry revealed a significant impact of the N-glycosylation pattern on the thermal stability. Production of deglycosylated pharmaceutical proteins in BY-2 cells expands the set of glycoengineered BY-2 cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Herman
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and TechnologyUCLouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
| | - Johann Far
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory‐MolSys Research UnitULiegeLiègeBelgium
| | - Marie Peeters
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and TechnologyUCLouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
| | - Loïc Quinton
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory‐MolSys Research UnitULiegeLiègeBelgium
| | - François Chaumont
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and TechnologyUCLouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
| | - Catherine Navarre
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and TechnologyUCLouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
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Lopez-Morales J, Vanella R, Utzinger T, Schittny V, Hirsiger J, Osthoff M, Berger CT, Guri Y, Nash MA. Multiplexed on-yeast serological assay for immune escape screening of SARS-CoV-2 variants. iScience 2023; 26:106648. [PMID: 37124419 PMCID: PMC10089669 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106648] [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: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant altered patient risk profiles and shifted the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, sensitive serological tests capable of analyzing patient IgG responses to multiple variants in parallel are highly desirable. Here, we present an adaptable serological test based on yeast surface display and serum biopanning that characterizes immune profiles against SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan (B lineage), Delta (B.1.617.2 lineage), and Omicron (B.1.1.529 lineage) receptor-binding domain (RBD) variants. We examined IgG titers from 30 serum samples from COVID-19-convalescent and vaccinated cohorts in Switzerland, and assessed the relative affinity of polyclonal serum IgG for RBD domains. We demonstrate that serum IgGs from patients recovered from severe COVID-19 between March-June 2021 bound tightly to both original Wuhan and Delta RBD variants, but failed to recognize Omicron RBDs, representing an affinity loss of >10- to 20-fold. Our yeast immunoassay is easily tailored, expandable and parallelized with newly emerging RBD variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanan Lopez-Morales
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland
- Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH), 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rosario Vanella
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH), 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- National Center for Research Competence (NCCR) Molecular Systems Engineering, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Utzinger
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland
- Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valentin Schittny
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julia Hirsiger
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Osthoff
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH), 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph T Berger
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH), 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- University Center for Immunology, University Hospital Basel, Basel 4056, Switzerland
| | - Yakir Guri
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH), 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael A Nash
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland
- Swiss Nanoscience Institute, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH), 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- National Center for Research Competence (NCCR) Molecular Systems Engineering, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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9
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Rando HM, Lordan R, Lee AJ, Naik A, Wellhausen N, Sell E, Kolla L, Gitter A, Greene CS. Application of Traditional Vaccine Development Strategies to SARS-CoV-2. mSystems 2023; 8:e0092722. [PMID: 36861991 PMCID: PMC10134813 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00927-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past 150 years, vaccines have revolutionized the relationship between people and disease. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies such as mRNA vaccines have received attention due to their novelty and successes. However, more traditional vaccine development platforms have also yielded important tools in the worldwide fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A variety of approaches have been used to develop COVID-19 vaccines that are now authorized for use in countries around the world. In this review, we highlight strategies that focus on the viral capsid and outwards, rather than on the nucleic acids inside. These approaches fall into two broad categories: whole-virus vaccines and subunit vaccines. Whole-virus vaccines use the virus itself, in either an inactivated or an attenuated state. Subunit vaccines contain instead an isolated, immunogenic component of the virus. Here, we highlight vaccine candidates that apply these approaches against SARS-CoV-2 in different ways. In a companion article (H. M. Rando, R. Lordan, L. Kolla, E. Sell, et al., mSystems 8:e00928-22, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00928-22), we review the more recent and novel development of nucleic acid-based vaccine technologies. We further consider the role that these COVID-19 vaccine development programs have played in prophylaxis at the global scale. Well-established vaccine technologies have proved especially important to making vaccines accessible in low- and middle-income countries. Vaccine development programs that use established platforms have been undertaken in a much wider range of countries than those using nucleic acid-based technologies, which have been led by wealthy Western countries. Therefore, these vaccine platforms, though less novel from a biotechnological standpoint, have proven to be extremely important to the management of SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE The development, production, and distribution of vaccines is imperative to saving lives, preventing illness, and reducing the economic and social burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines that use cutting-edge biotechnology have played an important role in mitigating the effects of SARS-CoV-2. However, more traditional methods of vaccine development that were refined throughout the 20th century have been especially critical to increasing vaccine access worldwide. Effective deployment is necessary to reducing the susceptibility of the world's population, which is especially important in light of emerging variants. In this review, we discuss the safety, immunogenicity, and distribution of vaccines developed using established technologies. In a separate review, we describe the vaccines developed using nucleic acid-based vaccine platforms. From the current literature, it is clear that the well-established vaccine technologies are also highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 and are being used to address the challenges of COVID-19 globally, including in low- and middle-income countries. This worldwide approach is critical for reducing the devastating impact of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halie M. Rando
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Health AI, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Ronan Lordan
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexandra J. Lee
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amruta Naik
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nils Wellhausen
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elizabeth Sell
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Likhitha Kolla
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - COVID-19 Review Consortium
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Health AI, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Childhood Cancer Data Lab, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anthony Gitter
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Casey S. Greene
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Center for Health AI, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Childhood Cancer Data Lab, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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Ayoup MS, ElShafey MM, Abdel-Hamid H, Ghareeb DA, Abu-Serie MM, Heikal LA, Teleb M. Repurposing 1,2,4-oxadiazoles as SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors and investigation of their possible viral entry blockade potential. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 252:115272. [PMID: 36966652 PMCID: PMC10008816 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115272] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Although vaccines are obviously mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic diffusion, efficient complementary antiviral agents are urgently needed to combat SARS-CoV-2. The viral papain-like protease (PLpro) is a promising therapeutic target being one of only two essential proteases crucial for viral replication. Nevertheless, it dysregulates the host immune sensing response. Here we report repositioning of the privileged 1,2,4-oxadiazole scaffold as promising SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitor with potential viral entry inhibition profile. The design strategy relied on mimicking the general structural features of the lead benzamide PLpro inhibitor GRL0617 with isosteric replacement of its pharmacophoric amide backbone by 1,2,4-oxadiazole core. Inspired by the multitarget antiviral agents, the substitution pattern was rationalized to tune the scaffold's potency against other additional viral targets, especially the spike receptor binding domain (RBD) that is responsible for the viral invasion. The Adopted facial synthetic protocol allowed easy access to various rationally substituted derivatives. Among the evaluated series, the 2-[5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl]aniline (5) displayed the most balanced dual inhibitory potential against SARS-CoV-2 PLpro (IC50=7.197 μM) and spike protein RBD (IC50 = 8.673 μM), with acceptable ligand efficiency metrics, practical LogP (3.8) and safety profile on Wi-38 (CC50 = 51.78 μM) and LT-A549 (CC50 = 45.77 μM) lung cells. Docking simulations declared the possible structural determinants of activities and enriched the SAR data for further optimization studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Salah Ayoup
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21321, Egypt.
| | - Mariam M ElShafey
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21321, Egypt
| | - Hamida Abdel-Hamid
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21321, Egypt
| | - Doaa A Ghareeb
- Bio‑screening and preclinical trial lab, Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, P.O. Box 21511, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Marwa M Abu-Serie
- Medical Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Egypt
| | - Lamia A Heikal
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21521, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Teleb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21521, Egypt
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11
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Kalyoncu S, Yilmaz S, Kuyucu AZ, Sayili D, Mert O, Soyturk H, Gullu S, Akinturk H, Citak E, Arslan M, Taskinarda MG, Tarman IO, Altun GY, Ozer C, Orkut R, Demirtas A, Tilmensagir I, Keles U, Ulker C, Aralan G, Mercan Y, Ozkan M, Caglar HO, Arik G, Ucar MC, Yildirim M, Yildirim TC, Karadag D, Bal E, Erdogan A, Senturk S, Uzar S, Enul H, Adiay C, Sarac F, Ekiz AT, Abaci I, Aksoy O, Polat HU, Tekin S, Dimitrov S, Ozkul A, Wingender G, Gursel I, Ozturk M, Inan M. Process development for an effective COVID-19 vaccine candidate harboring recombinant SARS-CoV-2 delta plus receptor binding domain produced by Pichia pastoris. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5224. [PMID: 36997624 PMCID: PMC10062263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32021-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are needed to fill the vaccine equity gap. Because protein-subunit based vaccines are easier and cheaper to produce and do not require special storage/transportation conditions, they are suitable for low-/middle-income countries. Here, we report our vaccine development studies with the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Plus strain (RBD-DP) which caused increased hospitalizations compared to other variants. First, we expressed RBD-DP in the Pichia pastoris yeast system and upscaled it to a 5-L fermenter for production. After three-step purification, we obtained RBD-DP with > 95% purity from a protein yield of > 1 g/L of supernatant. Several biophysical and biochemical characterizations were performed to confirm its identity, stability, and functionality. Then, it was formulated in different contents with Alum and CpG for mice immunization. After three doses of immunization, IgG titers from sera reached to > 106 and most importantly it showed high T-cell responses which are required for an effective vaccine to prevent severe COVID-19 disease. A live neutralization test was performed with both the Wuhan strain (B.1.1.7) and Delta strain (B.1.617.2) and it showed high neutralization antibody content for both strains. A challenge study with SARS-CoV-2 infected K18-hACE2 transgenic mice showed good immunoprotective activity with no viruses in the lungs and no lung inflammation for all immunized mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Semiramis Yilmaz
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Dogu Sayili
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Olcay Mert
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Seyda Gullu
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Erhan Citak
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Gent, Belgium
| | - Merve Arslan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Ceren Ozer
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ridvan Orkut
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | | | - Umur Keles
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ceren Ulker
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gizem Aralan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Yavuz Mercan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Muge Ozkan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Hasan Onur Caglar
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Gizem Arik
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Ankara Medipol University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Can Ucar
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Erhan Bal
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir Tinaztepe University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Aybike Erdogan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Serif Senturk
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Serdar Uzar
- Pendik Veterinary Research and Control Institute, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hakan Enul
- Pendik Veterinary Research and Control Institute, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cumhur Adiay
- Pendik Veterinary Research and Control Institute, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fahriye Sarac
- Pendik Veterinary Research and Control Institute, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Irem Abaci
- Marmara Research Center, TUBITAK, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Ozge Aksoy
- Marmara Research Center, TUBITAK, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | | | - Saban Tekin
- Marmara Research Center, TUBITAK, Kocaeli, Turkey
- University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Ihsan Gursel
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Ozturk
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Izmir Tinaztepe University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Inan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey.
- Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
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12
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Dickey TH, Ma R, Orr-Gonzalez S, Ouahes T, Patel P, McAleese H, Butler B, Eudy E, Eaton B, Murphy M, Kwan JL, Salinas ND, Holbrook MR, Lambert LE, Tolia NH. Design of a stabilized RBD enables potently neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 single-component nanoparticle vaccines. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112266. [PMID: 36943870 PMCID: PMC9986124 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Waning immunity and emerging variants necessitate continued vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Improvements in vaccine safety, tolerability, and ease of manufacturing would benefit these efforts. Here, we develop a potent and easily manufactured nanoparticle vaccine displaying the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Computational design to stabilize the RBD, eliminate glycosylation, and focus the immune response to neutralizing epitopes results in an RBD immunogen that resolves issues hindering the efficient nanoparticle display of the native RBD. This non-glycosylated RBD can be genetically fused to diverse single-component nanoparticle platforms, maximizing manufacturing ease and flexibility. All engineered RBD nanoparticles elicit potently neutralizing antibodies in mice that far exceed monomeric RBDs. A 60-copy particle (noNAG-RBD-E2p) also elicits potently neutralizing antibodies in non-human primates. The neutralizing antibody titers elicited by noNAG-RBD-E2p are comparable to a benchmark stabilized spike antigen and reach levels against Omicron BA.5 that suggest that it would provide protection against emerging variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayne H Dickey
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Rui Ma
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Sachy Orr-Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Tarik Ouahes
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Palak Patel
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Holly McAleese
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Brandi Butler
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Elizabeth Eudy
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Brett Eaton
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Michael Murphy
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jennifer L Kwan
- Epidemiology and Population Studies Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Nichole D Salinas
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Michael R Holbrook
- Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Lynn E Lambert
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Niraj H Tolia
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
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13
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Raoufi E, Hosseini F, Onagh B, Salehi-Shadkami M, Mehrali M, Mohsenzadegan M, Ho JQ, Bigdelou B, Sepand MR, Webster TJ, Zanganeh S, Farajollahi MM. Designing and developing a sensitive and specific SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgG detection kit for identifying positive human samples. Clin Chim Acta 2023; 542:117279. [PMID: 36871661 PMCID: PMC9985519 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2023.117279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 3 y into the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to undergo mutations. In this context, the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) is the most antigenic region among the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and has emerged as a promising candidate for immunological development. We designed an IgG-based indirect enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) kit based on recombinant RBD, which was produced from the laboratory to 10 L industry scales in Pichia pastoris. METHODS A recombinant-RBD comprising 283 residues (31 kDa) was constructed after epitope analyses. The target gene was initially cloned into an Escherichia coli TOP10 genotype and transformed into Pichia pastoris CBS7435 muts for protein production. Production was scaled up in a 10 L fermenter after a 1 L shake-flask cultivation. The product was ultrafiltered and purified using ion-exchange chromatography. IgG-positive human sera for SARS-CoV-2 were employed by an ELISA test to evaluate the antigenicity and specific binding of the produced protein. RESULTS Bioreactor cultivation yielded 4 g/l of the target protein after 160 h of fermentation, and ion-exchange chromatography indicated a purity > 95%. A human serum ELISA test was performed in 4 parts, and the ROC area under the curve (AUC) was > 0.96 for each part. The mean specificity and sensitivity of each part was 100% and 91.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION A highly specific and sensitive IgG-based serologic kit was developed for improved diagnostic purposes in patients with COVID-19 after generating an RBD antigen in Pichia pastoris at laboratory and 10 L fermentation scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Raoufi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Hosseini
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahman Onagh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Marjan Mehrali
- School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Monireh Mohsenzadegan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jim Q Ho
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Banafsheh Bigdelou
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, United States
| | - Mohammad Reza Sepand
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, United States
| | - Thomas J Webster
- School of Health Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China; School of Engineering, Saveetha University, Chennai, India; Program in Materials Science, UFPI, Teresina, Brazil
| | - Steven Zanganeh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, United States.
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14
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Chen R, Gao Y, Liu H, Li H, Chen W, Ma J. Advances in research on 3C-like protease (3CL pro) inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 since 2020. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:9-21. [PMID: 36760740 PMCID: PMC9890616 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00344a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 is still threatening global human health. Although some vaccines and drugs are available in the market, controlling the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a huge challenge. 3C-like protease (3CLpro) is a highly conserved key protease for SARS-CoV-2 replication, and no relevant homologous protein with a similar cleavage site to 3CLpro has been identified in humans, highlighting that development of 3CLpro inhibitors exhibits great promise for treatment of COVID-19. In this review, the authors describe the structure and function of 3CLpro. To better understand the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors, the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors reported since 2020 are classified into peptidomimetic covalent inhibitors, non-peptidomimetic covalent inhibitors and non-covalent small molecule inhibitors, and the representative inhibitors, their biological activities and binding models are highlighted. Collectively, we hope that all the information presented here will provide new insights into the design and development of more effective 3CLpro inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 as novel anti-coronavirus drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roufen Chen
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Yali Gao
- Pharmacy Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Han Liu
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - He Li
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Wenfa Chen
- Pharmacy Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University Quanzhou 362000 China
| | - Junjie Ma
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University Quanzhou 362000 China
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15
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Rando HM, Lordan R, Lee AJ, Naik A, Wellhausen N, Sell E, Kolla L, Gitter A, Greene CS. Application of Traditional Vaccine Development Strategies to SARS-CoV-2. ARXIV 2023:2208.08907. [PMID: 36034485 PMCID: PMC9413721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 150 years, vaccines have revolutionized the relationship between people and disease. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies such as mRNA vaccines have received attention due to their novelty and successes. However, more traditional vaccine development platforms have also yielded important tools in the worldwide fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A variety of approaches have been used to develop COVID-19 vaccines that are now authorized for use in countries around the world. In this review, we highlight strategies that focus on the viral capsid and outwards, rather than on the nucleic acids inside. These approaches fall into two broad categories: whole-virus vaccines and subunit vaccines. Whole-virus vaccines use the virus itself, either in an inactivated or attenuated state. Subunit vaccines contain instead an isolated, immunogenic component of the virus. Here, we highlight vaccine candidates that apply these approaches against SARS-CoV-2 in different ways. In a companion manuscript, we review the more recent and novel development of nucleic-acid based vaccine technologies. We further consider the role that these COVID-19 vaccine development programs have played in prophylaxis at the global scale. Well-established vaccine technologies have proved especially important to making vaccines accessible in low- and middle-income countries. Vaccine development programs that use established platforms have been undertaken in a much wider range of countries than those using nucleic-acid-based technologies, which have been led by wealthy Western countries. Therefore, these vaccine platforms, though less novel from a biotechnological standpoint, have proven to be extremely important to the management of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halie M Rando
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America; Center for Health AI, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America · Funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF 4552); the National Human Genome Research Institute (R01 HG010067)
| | - Ronan Lordan
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5158, USA; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alexandra J Lee
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America · Funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF 4552)
| | - Amruta Naik
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Nils Wellhausen
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Sell
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Likhitha Kolla
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America · Funded by NIH Medical Scientist Training Program T32 GM07170
| | | | - Anthony Gitter
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America; Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America · Funded by John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Center for Research in Virology
| | - Casey S Greene
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America; Childhood Cancer Data Lab, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America; Center for Health AI, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America · Funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF 4552); the National Human Genome Research Institute (R01 HG010067)
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16
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Advances in Komagataella phaffii Engineering for the Production of Renewable Chemicals and Proteins. FERMENTATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation8110575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The need for a more sustainable society has prompted the development of bio-based processes to produce fuels, chemicals, and materials in substitution for fossil-based ones. In this context, microorganisms have been employed to convert renewable carbon sources into various products. The methylotrophic yeast Komagataella phaffii has been extensively used in the production of heterologous proteins. More recently, it has been explored as a host organism to produce various chemicals through new metabolic engineering and synthetic biology tools. This review first summarizes Komagataella taxonomy and diversity and then highlights the recent approaches in cell engineering to produce renewable chemicals and proteins. Finally, strategies to optimize and develop new fermentative processes using K. phaffii as a cell factory are presented and discussed. The yeast K. phaffii shows an outstanding performance for renewable chemicals and protein production due to its ability to metabolize different carbon sources and the availability of engineering tools. Indeed, it has been employed in producing alcohols, carboxylic acids, proteins, and other compounds using different carbon sources, including glycerol, glucose, xylose, methanol, and even CO2.
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17
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Phatarphekar A, Vidyadhar Reddy GEC, Gokhale A, Karanam G, Kuchroo P, Shinde K, Masand G, Pagare S, Khadpe N, Pai SS, Vijayan V, Ramnath RL, Pratap Reddy K, Rao P, Harinarayana Rao S, Ramana V. RelCoVax®, a two antigen subunit protein vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 induces strong immune responses in mice. Vaccine 2022; 40:4522-4530. [PMID: 35718590 PMCID: PMC9189014 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred an unprecedented movement to develop safe and effective vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus to immunize the global population. The first set of vaccine candidates that received emergency use authorization targeted the spike (S) glycoprotein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that enables virus entry into cells via the receptor binding domain (RBD). Recently, multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged with mutations in S protein and the ability to evade neutralizing antibodies in vaccinated individuals. We have developed a dual RBD and nucleocapsid (N) subunit protein vaccine candidate named RelCoVax® through heterologous expression in mammalian cells (RBD) and E. coli (N). The RelCoVax® formulation containing a combination of aluminum hydroxide (alum) and a synthetic CpG oligonucleotide as adjuvants elicited high antibody titers against RBD and N proteins in mice after a prime and boost dose regimen administered 2 weeks apart. The vaccine also stimulated cellular immune responses with a potential Th1 bias as evidenced by increased IFN-γ release by splenocytes from immunized mice upon antigen exposure particularly N protein. Finally, the serum of mice immunized with RelCoVax® demonstrated the ability to neutralize two different SARS-CoV-2 viral strains in vitro including the Delta strain that has become dominant in many regions of the world and can evade vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies. These results warrant further evaluation of RelCoVax® through advanced studies and contribute towards enhancing our understanding of multicomponent subunit vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Phatarphekar
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India.
| | - G E C Vidyadhar Reddy
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Abhiram Gokhale
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Gopala Karanam
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Pushpa Kuchroo
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ketaki Shinde
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Girish Masand
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shyam Pagare
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nilesh Khadpe
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sangita S Pai
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vijita Vijayan
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - R L Ramnath
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - K Pratap Reddy
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Praveen Rao
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - S Harinarayana Rao
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
| | - Venkata Ramana
- Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences Centre, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Rabale, Navi Mumbai 400701, Maharashtra, India
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18
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Banihashemi SR, Es-haghi A, Fallah Mehrabadi MH, Nofeli M, Mokarram AR, Ranjbar A, Salman M, Hajimoradi M, Razaz SH, Taghdiri M, Bagheri M, Dadar M, Hassan ZM, Eslampanah M, Salehi Najafabadi Z, Lotfi M, Khorasani A, Rahmani F. Safety and Efficacy of Combined Intramuscular/Intranasal RAZI-COV PARS Vaccine Candidate Against SARS-CoV-2: A Preclinical Study in Several Animal Models. Front Immunol 2022; 13:836745. [PMID: 35693788 PMCID: PMC9179012 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.836745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Several vaccine candidates for COVID-19 have been developed, and few vaccines received emergency approval with an acceptable level of efficacy and safety. We herein report the development of the first recombinant protein-based vaccine in Iran based on the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in its monomeric (encompassing amino acid 1-674 for S1 and 685-1211 for S2 subunits) and trimer form (S-Trimer) formulated in the oil-in-water adjuvant system RAS-01 (Razi Adjuvant System-01). The safety and immunity of the candidate vaccine, referred to as RAZI-COV PARS, were evaluated in Syrian hamster, BALB/c mice, Pirbright guinea pig, and New Zeeland white (NZW) rabbit. All vaccinated animals received two intramuscular (IM) and one intranasal (IN) candidate vaccine at 3-week intervals (days 0, 21, and 51). The challenge study was performed intranasally with 5×106 pfu of SARS-CoV-2 35 days post-vaccination. None of the vaccinated mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, or rabbits showed any changes in general clinical observations; body weight and food intake, clinical indicators, hematology examination, blood chemistry, and pathological examination of vital organs. Safety of vaccine after the administration of single and repeated dose was also established. Three different doses of candidate vaccine stimulated remarkable titers of neutralizing antibodies, S1, Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD), and N-terminal domain (NTD) specific IgG antibodies as well as IgA antibodies compared to placebo and control groups (P<0.01). Middle and high doses of RAZI-COV PARS vaccine significantly induced a robust and quick immune response from the third-week post-immunization. Histopathological studies on vaccinated hamsters showed that the challenge with SARS-CoV-2 did not induce any modifications in the lungs. The protection of the hamster was documented by the absence of lung pathology, the decreased virus load in the lung, rapid clearance of the virus from the lung, and strong humoral and cellular immune response. These findings confirm the immunogenicity and efficacy of the RAZI-COV PARS vaccine. Of the three tested vaccine regimens, the middle dose of the vaccine showed the best protective immune parameters. This vaccine with heterologous prime-boost vaccination method can be a good candidate to control the viral infection and its spread by stimulating central and mucosal immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Reza Banihashemi
- Department of immunology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Ali Es-haghi
- Department of Physico Chemistry, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Fallah Mehrabadi
- Department of Epidemiology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Nofeli
- Department of Research and Development, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Ali Rezaei Mokarram
- Department of Quality Assurance, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Alireza Ranjbar
- Clinic of Pediatrics, Institute of Interventional Allergology and Immunology, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mo Salman
- Animal Population Health Institute of College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Monireh Hajimoradi
- Department of immunology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Seyad Hossein Razaz
- Department of immunology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Maryam Taghdiri
- Department of immunology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Mohsen Bagheri
- Department of Physico Chemistry, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Maryam Dadar
- Department of Research and Development, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Zuhair Mohammad Hassan
- Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Eslampanah
- Department of Pathology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Zahra Salehi Najafabadi
- Department of Research and Development, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Mohsen Lotfi
- Department of Quality Control, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Akbar Khorasani
- Department of Research and Development, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Fereidoon Rahmani
- Department of Physico Chemistry, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
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19
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Abstract
Coronaviruses have caused devastation in both human and animal populations, affecting both health and the economy. Amidst the emergence and re-emergence of coronaviruses, humans need to surmount the health and economic threat of coronaviruses through science and evidence-based approaches. One of these approaches is through biotechnology, particularly the heterologous production of biopharmaceutical proteins. This review article briefly describes the genome, general virion morphology, and key structural proteins of different coronaviruses affecting animals and humans. In addition, this review paper also presents the different systems in recombinant protein technology such as bacteria, yeasts, plants, mammalian cells, and insect/insect cells systems used to express key structural proteins in the development of countermeasures such as diagnostics, prophylaxis, and therapeutics in the challenging era of coronaviruses.
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20
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Slattery SS, Giguere DJ, Stuckless EE, Shrestha A, Briere LAK, Galbraith A, Reaume S, Boyko X, Say HH, Browne TS, Frederick MI, Lant JT, Heinemann IU, O'Donoghue P, Dsouza L, Martin S, Howard P, Jedeszko C, Ali K, Styba G, Flatley M, Karas BJ, Gloor GB, Edgell DR. Phosphate-regulated expression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum for pandemic diagnostics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7010. [PMID: 35487958 PMCID: PMC9051505 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11053-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 betacoronavirus has highlighted the need for a synthetic biology approach to create reliable and scalable sources of viral antigen for uses in diagnostics, therapeutics and basic biomedical research. Here, we adapt plasmid-based systems in the eukaryotic microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum to develop an inducible overexpression system for SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Limiting phosphate and iron in growth media induced expression of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from the P. tricornutum HASP1 promoter in the wild-type strain and in a histidine auxotrophic strain that alleviates the requirement for antibiotic selection of expression plasmids. The RBD was purified from whole cell extracts (algae-RBD) with yield compromised by the finding that 90-95% of expressed RBD lacked the genetically encoded C-terminal 6X-histidine tag. Constructs that lacked the TEV protease site between the RBD and C-terminal 6X-histidine tag retained the tag, increasing yield. Purified algae-RBD was found to be N-linked glycosylated by treatment with endoglycosidases, was cross-reactive with anti-RBD polyclonal antibodies, and inhibited binding of recombinant RBD purified from mammalian cell lines to the human ACE2 receptor. We also show that the algae-RBD can be used in a lateral flow assay device to detect SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies from donor serum at sensitivity equivalent to assays performed with RBD made in mammalian cell lines. Our study shows that P. tricornutum is a scalable system with minimal biocontainment requirements for the inducible production of SARS-CoV-2 or other coronavirus antigens for pandemic diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S Slattery
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Daniel J Giguere
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Emily E Stuckless
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Arina Shrestha
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Lee-Ann K Briere
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Alexa Galbraith
- Lambton College, 1457 London Rd, Sarnia, ON, N7S 6K4, Canada
| | - Stephen Reaume
- Lambton College, 1457 London Rd, Sarnia, ON, N7S 6K4, Canada
| | - Xenia Boyko
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Henry H Say
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Tyler S Browne
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Mallory I Frederick
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Jeremy T Lant
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Ilka U Heinemann
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Patrick O'Donoghue
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Liann Dsouza
- Pond Technologies Inc., Markham, ON, L3R 9W7, Canada
| | - Steven Martin
- Pond Technologies Inc., Markham, ON, L3R 9W7, Canada
| | - Peter Howard
- Pond Technologies Inc., Markham, ON, L3R 9W7, Canada
| | - Christopher Jedeszko
- International Point of Care Inc., 135 The West Mall Unit 9, Toronto, ON, M9C 1C2, Canada
| | - Kinza Ali
- International Point of Care Inc., 135 The West Mall Unit 9, Toronto, ON, M9C 1C2, Canada
| | - Garth Styba
- International Point of Care Inc., 135 The West Mall Unit 9, Toronto, ON, M9C 1C2, Canada
| | - Martin Flatley
- Suncor Energy Inc., Sarnia Refinery, 1900 River Road, Sarnia, ON, N7T 7J3, Canada
| | - Bogumil J Karas
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Gregory B Gloor
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - David R Edgell
- Department of Biochemistry, Schlich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
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21
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Kim JK, Ryu SW, Kim JS, Jung BK. Performance evaluation of four rapid antibody tests for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. J Clin Lab Anal 2022; 36:e24374. [PMID: 35446996 PMCID: PMC9110950 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prompt detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is important in the therapeutic management of infected patients. Rapid diagnostic tests are widely used for this purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical performance of four SARS‐CoV‐2 immunoglobulin IgG/IgM rapid diagnostic tests in the detection of SARS‐CoV‐2. Methods Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs and/or sputum were collected from 30 patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 and 30 healthy volunteers. All specimens were tested using four SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG/IgM rapid diagnostic tests and real‐time polymerase chain reaction. We assessed the clinical sensitivity and specificity of the tests. Results The clinical sensitivity of FREND™, SsmarTest™, BIOCREDIT™, and IVDLAB™ was 96.67%, 100.00%, 100.00%, and 96.67%, respectively, compared to real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The clinical specificity was 96.67%, 100.00%, 86.67%, and 96.67%, respectively. Conclusion These findings could expedite the detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 and thus reduce the risk of further transmission of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Kyung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dankook University College of Health Sciences, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sook Won Ryu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Jae Soo Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Bo Kyeung Jung
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
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22
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Tai W, Zhang X, Yang Y, Zhu J, Du L. Advances in mRNA and other vaccines against MERS-CoV. Transl Res 2022; 242:20-37. [PMID: 34801748 PMCID: PMC8603276 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a highly pathogenic human coronavirus (CoV). Belonging to the same beta-CoV genus as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1) and SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV has a significantly higher fatality rate with limited human-to-human transmissibility. MERS-CoV causes sporadic outbreaks, but no vaccines have yet been approved for use in humans, thus calling for continued efforts to develop effective vaccines against this important CoV. Similar to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV contains 4 structural proteins, among which the surface spike (S) protein has been used as a core component in the majority of currently developed MERS-CoV vaccines. Here, we illustrate the importance of the MERS-CoV S protein as a key vaccine target and provide an update on the currently developed MERS-CoV vaccines, including those based on DNAs, proteins, virus-like particles or nanoparticles, and viral vectors. Additionally, we describe approaches for designing MERS-CoV mRNA vaccines and explore the role and importance of naturally occurring pseudo-nucleosides in the design of effective MERS-CoV mRNA vaccines. This review also provides useful insights into designing and evaluating mRNA vaccines against other viral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanbo Tai
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York
| | - Xiujuan Zhang
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York
| | - Yang Yang
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Califonia; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Lanying Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.
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23
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A guide on how to work in vaccine science. Nature 2021; 599:S1-S3. [PMID: 34815563 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-021-03056-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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24
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Berndt AJ, Smalley TN, Ren B, Simkovsky R, Badary A, Sproles AE, Fields FJ, Torres-Tiji Y, Heredia V, Mayfield SP. Recombinant production of a functional SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257089. [PMID: 34793485 PMCID: PMC8601568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant production of viral proteins can be used to produce vaccine antigens or reagents to identify antibodies in patient serum. Minimally, these proteins must be correctly folded and have appropriate post-translation modifications. Here we report the production of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) in the green algae Chlamydomonas. RBD fused to a fluorescent reporter protein accumulates as an intact protein when targeted for ER-Golgi retention or secreted from the cell, while a chloroplast localized version is truncated. The ER-retained RBD fusion protein was able to bind the human ACE2 receptor, the host target of SARS-CoV-2, and was specifically out-competed by mammalian cell-produced recombinant RBD, suggesting that the algae produced proteins are sufficiently post-translationally modified to act as authentic SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Because algae can be grown at large scale very inexpensively, this recombinant protein may be a low cost alternative to other expression platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J. Berndt
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Tressa N. Smalley
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Bijie Ren
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan Simkovsky
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Amr Badary
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ashley E. Sproles
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Francis J. Fields
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Yasin Torres-Tiji
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Vanessa Heredia
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen P. Mayfield
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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25
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Zhou C, Zai X, Zhou Z, Li R, Zhang Y, Li Y, Yin Y, Zhang J, Xu J, Chen W. RBD 206-sc-dimer induced robust cross-neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:390. [PMID: 34759271 PMCID: PMC8578908 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00798-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chuge Zhou
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Zai
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Ziqing Zhou
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Ruihua Li
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Yaohui Li
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Yin
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China
| | - Junjie Xu
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China.
| | - Wei Chen
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, No. 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, China.
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26
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Sun Z, Ren K, Zhang X, Chen J, Jiang Z, Jiang J, Ji F, Ouyang X, Li L. Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Newly Emerging Coronavirus HCoV-19 Spike Protein and Human ACE2 Reveals Camouflaging Glycans and Unique Post-Translational Modifications. ENGINEERING 2021; 7:1441-1451. [PMID: 32904601 PMCID: PMC7456593 DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2020.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
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27
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Dalvie NC, Rodriguez-Aponte SA, Hartwell BL, Tostanoski LH, Biedermann AM, Crowell LE, Kaur K, Kumru OS, Carter L, Yu J, Chang A, McMahan K, Courant T, Lebas C, Lemnios AA, Rodrigues KA, Silva M, Johnston RS, Naranjo CA, Tracey MK, Brady JR, Whittaker CA, Yun D, Brunette N, Wang JY, Walkey C, Fiala B, Kar S, Porto M, Lok M, Andersen H, Lewis MG, Love KR, Camp DL, Silverman JM, Kleanthous H, Joshi SB, Volkin DB, Dubois PM, Collin N, King NP, Barouch DH, Irvine DJ, Love JC. Engineered SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain improves manufacturability in yeast and immunogenicity in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2106845118. [PMID: 34493582 PMCID: PMC8463846 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106845118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Global containment of COVID-19 still requires accessible and affordable vaccines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Recently approved vaccines provide needed interventions, albeit at prices that may limit their global access. Subunit vaccines based on recombinant proteins are suited for large-volume microbial manufacturing to yield billions of doses annually, minimizing their manufacturing cost. These types of vaccines are well-established, proven interventions with multiple safe and efficacious commercial examples. Many vaccine candidates of this type for SARS-CoV-2 rely on sequences containing the receptor-binding domain (RBD), which mediates viral entry to cells via ACE2. Here we report an engineered sequence variant of RBD that exhibits high-yield manufacturability, high-affinity binding to ACE2, and enhanced immunogenicity after a single dose in mice compared to the Wuhan-Hu-1 variant used in current vaccines. Antibodies raised against the engineered protein exhibited heterotypic binding to the RBD from two recently reported SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (501Y.V1/V2). Presentation of the engineered RBD on a designed virus-like particle (VLP) also reduced weight loss in hamsters upon viral challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Dalvie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Sergio A Rodriguez-Aponte
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Brittany L Hartwell
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Lisa H Tostanoski
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Andrew M Biedermann
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Laura E Crowell
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Kawaljit Kaur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics, and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047
| | - Ozan S Kumru
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics, and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Jingyou Yu
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Aiquan Chang
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Katherine McMahan
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Thomas Courant
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Celia Lebas
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ashley A Lemnios
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Kristen A Rodrigues
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Murillo Silva
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Ryan S Johnston
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Christopher A Naranjo
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Mary Kate Tracey
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Joseph R Brady
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Charles A Whittaker
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Dongsoo Yun
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Natalie Brunette
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Jing Yang Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Carl Walkey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Brooke Fiala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kerry R Love
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Danielle L Camp
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | | | - Sangeeta B Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics, and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047
| | - David B Volkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics, and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047
| | - Patrice M Dubois
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Collin
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Neil P King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Dan H Barouch
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
| | - J Christopher Love
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139;
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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28
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Sun Z, Zheng X, Ji F, Zhou M, Su X, Ren K, Li L. Mass Spectrometry Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Reveals Camouflaging Glycans and Unique Post-Translational Modifications. INFECTIOUS MICROBES & DISEASES 2021; 3:149-157. [PMID: 38630108 PMCID: PMC8454284 DOI: 10.1097/im9.0000000000000071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The devastating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted worldwide efforts to study structural biological traits of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its viral components. Compared to the Spike protein, which is the primary target for currently available vaccines or antibodies, knowledge about other virion structural components is incomplete. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, we report a comprehensive post-translational modification (PTM) analysis of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (NCP), the most abundant structural component of the SARS-CoV-2 virion. In addition to phosphoryl groups, we show that the SARS-CoV-2 NCP is decorated with a variety of PTMs, including N-glycans and ubiquitin. Based on newly identified PTMs, refined protein structural models of SARS-CoV-2 NCP were proposed and potential immune recognition epitopes of NCP were aligned with PTMs. These data can facilitate the design of novel vaccines or therapeutics targeting NCP, as valuable alternatives to the current vaccination and treatment paradigm that is under threat of the ever-mutating SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoqin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Feiyang Ji
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Menghao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoling Su
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Keyi Ren
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lanjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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29
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Ruhnau J, Grote V, Juarez-Osorio M, Bruder D, Mahour R, Rapp E, Rexer TFT, Reichl U. Cell-Free Glycoengineering of the Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:699025. [PMID: 34485255 PMCID: PMC8415157 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.699025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The baculovirus-insect cell expression system is readily utilized to produce viral glycoproteins for research as well as for subunit vaccines and vaccine candidates, for instance against SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, the glycoforms of recombinant proteins derived from this expression system are inherently different from mammalian cell-derived glycoforms with mainly complex-type N-glycans attached, and the impact of these differences in protein glycosylation on the immunogenicity is severely under investigated. This applies also to the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, which is the antigen target of all licensed vaccines and vaccine candidates including virus like particles and subunit vaccines that are variants of the spike protein. Here, we expressed the transmembrane-deleted human β-1,2 N-acetlyglucosamintransferases I and II (MGAT1ΔTM and MGAT2ΔTM) and the β-1,4-galactosyltransferase (GalTΔTM) in E. coli to in-vitro remodel the N-glycans of a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein derived from insect cells. In a cell-free sequential one-pot reaction, fucosylated and afucosylated paucimannose-type N-glycans were converted to complex-type galactosylated N-glycans. In the future, this in-vitro glycoengineering approach can be used to efficiently generate a wide range of N-glycans on antigens considered as vaccine candidates for animal trials and preclinical testing to better characterize the impact of N-glycosylation on immunity and to improve the efficacy of protein subunit vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Ruhnau
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Valerian Grote
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mariana Juarez-Osorio
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dunja Bruder
- Infection Immunology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Infection Prevention and Control, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Immune Regulation Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Reza Mahour
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Erdmann Rapp
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
- glyXera GmbH, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas F. T. Rexer
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Udo Reichl
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
- Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Magdeburg, Germany
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30
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Pollet J, Chen WH, Versteeg L, Keegan B, Zhan B, Wei J, Liu Z, Lee J, Kundu R, Adhikari R, Poveda C, Villar MJ, de Araujo Leao AC, Altieri Rivera J, Momin Z, Gillespie PM, Kimata JT, Strych U, Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME. SARS‑CoV-2 RBD219-N1C1: A yeast-expressed SARS-CoV-2 recombinant receptor-binding domain candidate vaccine stimulates virus neutralizing antibodies and T-cell immunity in mice. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:2356-2366. [PMID: 33847226 PMCID: PMC8054496 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1901545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need for an accessible and low-cost COVID-19 vaccine suitable for low- and middle-income countries. Here, we report on the development of a SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein, expressed at high levels in yeast (Pichia pastoris), as a suitable vaccine candidate against COVID-19. After introducing two modifications into the wild-type RBD gene to reduce yeast-derived hyperglycosylation and improve stability during protein expression, we show that the recombinant protein, RBD219-N1C1, is equivalent to the wild-type RBD recombinant protein (RBD219-WT) in an in vitro ACE-2 binding assay. Immunogenicity studies of RBD219-N1C1 and RBD219-WT proteins formulated with Alhydrogel® were conducted in mice, and, after two doses, both the RBD219-WT and RBD219-N1C1 vaccines induced high levels of binding IgG antibodies. Using a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, we further showed that sera obtained after a two-dose immunization schedule of the vaccines were sufficient to elicit strong neutralizing antibody titers in the 1:1,000 to 1:10,000 range, for both antigens tested. The vaccines induced IFN-γ IL-6, and IL-10 secretion, among other cytokines. Overall, these data suggest that the RBD219-N1C1 recombinant protein, produced in yeast, is suitable for further evaluation as a human COVID-19 vaccine, in particular, in an Alhydrogel® containing formulation and possibly in combination with other immunostimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Pollet
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wen-Hsiang Chen
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Leroy Versteeg
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brian Keegan
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bin Zhan
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Junfei Wei
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhuyun Liu
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jungsoon Lee
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rahki Kundu
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rakesh Adhikari
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Jose Villar
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Zoha Momin
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Jason T. Kimata
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
- James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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31
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Shalash AO, Hussein WM, Skwarczynski M, Toth I. Key Considerations for the Development of Safe and Effective SARS-CoV-2 Subunit Vaccine: A Peptide-Based Vaccine Alternative. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2100985. [PMID: 34176237 PMCID: PMC8373118 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202100985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is disastrous to global health and the economy. SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibits similar clinical symptoms and immunopathological sequelae to SARS-CoV infection. Therefore, much of the developmental progress on SARS-CoV vaccines can be utilized for the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Careful antigen selection during development is always of utmost importance for the production of effective vaccines that do not compromise recipient safety. This holds especially true for SARS-CoV vaccines, as several immunopathological disorders are associated with the activity of structural and nonstructural proteins encoded in the virus's genetic material. Whole viral protein and RNA-encoding full-length proteins contain both protective and "dangerous" sequences, unless pathological fragments are deleted. In light of recent advances, peptide vaccines may present a very safe and effective alternative. Peptide vaccines can avoid immunopathological pro-inflammatory sequences, focus immune responses on neutralizing immunogenic epitopes, avoid off-target antigen loss, combine antigens with different protective roles or mechanisms, even from different viral proteins, and avoid mutant escape by employing highly conserved cryptic epitopes. In this review, an attempt is made to exploit the similarities between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 in vaccine antigen screening, with particular attention to the pathological and immunogenic properties of SARS proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed O. Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
| | - Waleed M. Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular BiosciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
- Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQLD4072Australia
- School of PharmacyThe University of QueenslandWoolloongabbaQLD4102Australia
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32
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Hosseini SA, Zahedipour F, Mirzaei H, Kazemi Oskuee R. Potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: Concept, progress, and challenges. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 97:107622. [PMID: 33895475 PMCID: PMC8006194 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Since September 2020, the world has had more than 28 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Many countries are facing a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. A pressing need is evident for the development of a potent vaccine to control the SARS-CoV-2. Institutions and companies in many countries have announced their vaccine research programs and progress against the COVID-19. While most vaccines go through the designation and preparation stages, some of them are under evaluation for efficacy among animal models and clinical trials, and three approved vaccine candidates have been introduced for limited exploitation in Russia and China. An effective vaccine must induce a protective response of both cell-mediated and humoral immunity and should meet the safety and efficacy criteria. Although the emergence of new technologies has accelerated the development of vaccines, there are several challenges on the way, such as limited knowledge about the pathophysiology of the virus, inducing humoral or cellular immunity, immune enhancement with animal coronavirus vaccines, and lack of an appropriate animal model. In this review, we firstly discuss the immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 disease, subsequently, give an overview of several vaccine platforms for SARS-CoV-2 under clinical trials and challenges in vaccine development against this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyede Atefe Hosseini
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Zahedipour
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran,Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran,Corresponding authors
| | - Reza Kazemi Oskuee
- Targeted Drug Delivery Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran,Corresponding authors
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33
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Pino M, Abid T, Pereira Ribeiro S, Edara VV, Floyd K, Smith JC, Latif MB, Pacheco-Sanchez G, Dutta D, Wang S, Gumber S, Kirejczyk S, Cohen J, Stammen RL, Jean SM, Wood JS, Connor-Stroud F, Pollet J, Chen WH, Wei J, Zhan B, Lee J, Liu Z, Strych U, Shenvi N, Easley K, Weiskopf D, Sette A, Pollara J, Mielke D, Gao H, Eisel N, LaBranche CC, Shen X, Ferrari G, Tomaras GD, Montefiori DC, Sekaly RP, Vanderford TH, Tomai MA, Fox CB, Suthar MS, Kozlowski PA, Hotez PJ, Paiardini M, Bottazzi ME, Kasturi SP. A yeast expressed RBD-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine formulated with 3M-052-alum adjuvant promotes protective efficacy in non-human primates. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:6/61/eabh3634. [PMID: 34266981 PMCID: PMC9119307 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abh3634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus–2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine development is focused on identifying stable, cost-effective, and accessible candidates for global use, specifically in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we report the efficacy of a rapidly scalable, novel yeast-expressed SARS-CoV-2–specific receptor binding domain (RBD)–based vaccine in rhesus macaques. We formulated the RBD immunogen in alum, a licensed and an emerging alum-adsorbed TLR-7/8-targeted, 3M-052-alum adjuvant. The RBD + 3M-052-alum-adjuvanted vaccine promoted better RBD binding and effector antibodies, higher CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies, improved TH1-biased CD4+ T cell reactions, and increased CD8+ T cell responses when compared with the alum-alone adjuvanted vaccine. RBD + 3M-052-alum induced a significant reduction of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the respiratory tract upon challenge, accompanied by reduced lung inflammation when compared with unvaccinated controls. Anti-RBD antibody responses in vaccinated animals inversely correlated with viral load in nasal secretions and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). RBD + 3M-052-alum blocked a post-SARS-CoV-2 challenge increase in CD14+CD16++ intermediate blood monocytes, and fractalkine, MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein–1), and TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand) in the plasma. Decreased plasma analytes and intermediate monocyte frequencies correlated with reduced nasal and BAL viral loads. Last, RBD-specific plasma cells accumulated in the draining lymph nodes and not in the bone marrow, contrary to previous findings. Together, these data show that a yeast-expressed, RBD-based vaccine + 3M-052-alum provides robust immune responses and protection against SARS-CoV-2, making it a strong and scalable vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pino
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Talha Abid
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Susan Pereira Ribeiro
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Venkata Viswanadh Edara
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, 954, Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Centers for Childhood Infections and Vaccines; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Department of Pediatrics, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Katharine Floyd
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, 954, Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Centers for Childhood Infections and Vaccines; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Department of Pediatrics, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Justin C Smith
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A
| | - Muhammad Bilal Latif
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Gabriela Pacheco-Sanchez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Debashis Dutta
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Shelly Wang
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Sanjeev Gumber
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Division of Pathology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Shannon Kirejczyk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Division of Pathology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Joyce Cohen
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Rachelle L Stammen
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Sherrie M Jean
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Jennifer S Wood
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Fawn Connor-Stroud
- Division of Animal Resources, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Wen-Hsiang Chen
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Junfei Wei
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Bin Zhan
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Jungsoon Lee
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Zhuyun Liu
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Neeta Shenvi
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Kirk Easley
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Daniela Weiskopf
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Justin Pollara
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dieter Mielke
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hongmei Gao
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nathan Eisel
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Celia C LaBranche
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xiaoying Shen
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Guido Ferrari
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Georgia D Tomaras
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - David C Montefiori
- Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rafick P Sekaly
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Thomas H Vanderford
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Mark A Tomai
- 3M Corporate Research Materials Laboratory, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Mehul S Suthar
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, 954, Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.,Centers for Childhood Infections and Vaccines; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Department of Pediatrics, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Pamela A Kozlowski
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A
| | - Peter J Hotez
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A.,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Mirko Paiardini
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. .,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, U.S.A. .,Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - Sudhir Pai Kasturi
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. .,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A
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34
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Allen JD, Chawla H, Samsudin F, Zuzic L, Shivgan AT, Watanabe Y, He WT, Callaghan S, Song G, Yong P, Brouwer PJM, Song Y, Cai Y, Duyvesteyn HME, Malinauskas T, Kint J, Pino P, Wurm MJ, Frank M, Chen B, Stuart DI, Sanders RW, Andrabi R, Burton DR, Li S, Bond PJ, Crispin M. Site-Specific Steric Control of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycosylation. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2153-2169. [PMID: 34213308 PMCID: PMC8262170 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A central tenet in the design of vaccines is the display of native-like antigens in the elicitation of protective immunity. The abundance of N-linked glycans across the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is a potential source of heterogeneity among the many different vaccine candidates under investigation. Here, we investigate the glycosylation of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins from five different laboratories and compare them against S protein from infectious virus, cultured in Vero cells. We find patterns that are conserved across all samples, and this can be associated with site-specific stalling of glycan maturation that acts as a highly sensitive reporter of protein structure. Molecular dynamics simulations of a fully glycosylated spike support a model of steric restrictions that shape enzymatic processing of the glycans. These results suggest that recombinant spike-based SARS-CoV-2 immunogen glycosylation reproducibly recapitulates signatures of viral glycosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel D. Allen
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K.
| | - Himanshi Chawla
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K.
| | - Firdaus Samsudin
- Bioinformatics
Institute, Agency for Science, Technology
and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138671
| | - Lorena Zuzic
- Bioinformatics
Institute, Agency for Science, Technology
and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138671
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Institute
of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K.
| | - Aishwary Tukaram Shivgan
- Bioinformatics
Institute, Agency for Science, Technology
and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138671
- Department
of Biological Sciences, National University
of Singapore, Singapore 117543
| | - Yasunori Watanabe
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K.
| | - Wan-ting He
- Department
of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- IAVI
Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Consortium
for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Sean Callaghan
- Department
of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- IAVI
Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Consortium
for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Ge Song
- Department
of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- IAVI
Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Consortium
for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Peter Yong
- Department
of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- IAVI
Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Consortium
for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Philip J. M. Brouwer
- Department
of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC,
University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yutong Song
- Tsinghua-Peking
Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Beijing
Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Frontier Research
Center for Biological Structure, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yongfei Cai
- Division
of Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s
Hospital, 3 Blackfan
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Helen M. E. Duyvesteyn
- Division
of Structural Biology, University of Oxford,
The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Tomas Malinauskas
- Division
of Structural Biology, University of Oxford,
The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Joeri Kint
- ExcellGene SA, CH1870 Monthey, Switzerland
| | - Paco Pino
- ExcellGene SA, CH1870 Monthey, Switzerland
| | | | - Martin Frank
- Biognos AB, Generatorsgatan
1, 41705 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Bing Chen
- Division
of Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s
Hospital, 3 Blackfan
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 3 Blackfan Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - David I. Stuart
- Division
of Structural Biology, University of Oxford,
The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science
& Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K.
| | - Rogier W. Sanders
- Department
of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC,
University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical
College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Raiees Andrabi
- Department
of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- IAVI
Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Consortium
for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Dennis R. Burton
- Department
of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- IAVI
Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Consortium
for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General
Hospital, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sai Li
- Tsinghua-Peking
Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Beijing
Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Frontier Research
Center for Biological Structure, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peter J. Bond
- Bioinformatics
Institute, Agency for Science, Technology
and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138671
- Department
of Biological Sciences, National University
of Singapore, Singapore 117543
| | - Max Crispin
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K.
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35
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Martínez-Flores D, Zepeda-Cervantes J, Cruz-Reséndiz A, Aguirre-Sampieri S, Sampieri A, Vaca L. SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines Based on the Spike Glycoprotein and Implications of New Viral Variants. Front Immunol 2021; 12:701501. [PMID: 34322129 PMCID: PMC8311925 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.701501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus 19 Disease (COVID-19) originating in the province of Wuhan, China in 2019, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), whose infection in humans causes mild or severe clinical manifestations that mainly affect the respiratory system. So far, the COVID-19 has caused more than 2 million deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 contains the Spike (S) glycoprotein on its surface, which is the main target for current vaccine development because antibodies directed against this protein can neutralize the infection. Companies and academic institutions have developed vaccines based on the S glycoprotein, as well as its antigenic domains and epitopes, which have been proven effective in generating neutralizing antibodies. However, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants could affect the effectiveness of vaccines. Here, we review the different types of vaccines designed and developed against SARS-CoV-2, placing emphasis on whether they are based on the complete S glycoprotein, its antigenic domains such as the receptor-binding domain (RBD) or short epitopes within the S glycoprotein. We also review and discuss the possible effectiveness of these vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Martínez-Flores
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jesús Zepeda-Cervantes
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adolfo Cruz-Reséndiz
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sergio Aguirre-Sampieri
- Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica e Ingeniería de Proteínas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alicia Sampieri
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis Vaca
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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36
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Contribution of yeast models to virus research. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:4855-4878. [PMID: 34086116 PMCID: PMC8175935 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11331-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Time and again, yeast has proven to be a vital model system to understand various crucial basic biology questions. Studies related to viruses are no exception to this. This simple eukaryotic organism is an invaluable model for studying fundamental cellular processes altered in the host cell due to viral infection or expression of viral proteins. Mechanisms of infection of several RNA and relatively few DNA viruses have been studied in yeast to date. Yeast is used for studying several aspects related to the replication of a virus, such as localization of viral proteins, interaction with host proteins, cellular effects on the host, etc. The development of novel techniques based on high-throughput analysis of libraries, availability of toolboxes for genetic manipulation, and a compact genome makes yeast a good choice for such studies. In this review, we provide an overview of the studies that have used yeast as a model system and have advanced our understanding of several important viruses. Key points • Yeast, a simple eukaryote, is an important model organism for studies related to viruses. • Several aspects of both DNA and RNA viruses of plants and animals are investigated using the yeast model. • Apart from the insights obtained on virus biology, yeast is also extensively used for antiviral development.
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37
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Shrivastava T, Singh B, Rizvi ZA, Verma R, Goswami S, Vishwakarma P, Jakhar K, Sonar S, Mani S, Bhattacharyya S, Awasthi A, Surjit M. Comparative Immunomodulatory Evaluation of the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein; a Potential Vaccine Candidate Which Imparts Potent Humoral and Th1 Type Immune Response in a Mouse Model. Front Immunol 2021; 12:641447. [PMID: 34108961 PMCID: PMC8182375 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.641447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The newly emerged novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 has proven to be a threat to the human race globally, thus, vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2 is an unmet need driving mass vaccination efforts. The receptor binding domain of the spike protein of this coronavirus has multiple neutralizing epitopes and is associated with viral entry. Here we have designed and characterized the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein fragment 330-526 as receptor binding domain 330-526 (RBD330-526) with two native glycosylation sites (N331 and N343); as a potential subunit vaccine candidate. We initially characterized RBD330-526 biochemically and investigated its thermal stability, humoral and T cell immune response of various RBD protein formulations (with or without adjuvant) to evaluate the inherent immunogenicity and immunomodulatory effect. Our result showed that the purified RBD immunogen is stable up to 72 h, without any apparent loss in affinity or specificity of interaction with the ACE2 receptor. Upon immunization in mice, RBD generates a high titer humoral response, elevated IFN-γ producing CD4+ cells, cytotoxic T cells, and robust neutralizing antibodies against live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Our results collectively support the potential of RBD330-526 as a promising vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tripti Shrivastava
- Infection and Immunology, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, National Capital Region (NCR) Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
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38
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Process development and scale-up optimization of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain-based vaccine candidate, RBD219-N1C1. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:4153-4165. [PMID: 33959781 PMCID: PMC8102132 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11281-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract A SARS-CoV-2 RBD219-N1C1 (RBD219-N1C1) recombinant protein antigen formulated on Alhydrogel® has recently been shown to elicit a robust neutralizing antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in mice. The antigen has been produced under current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) and is now in clinical testing. Here, we report on process development and scale-up optimization for upstream fermentation and downstream purification of the antigen. This includes production at the 1-L and 5-L scales in the yeast, Pichia pastoris, and the comparison of three different chromatographic purification methods. This culminated in the selection of a process to produce RBD219-N1C1 with a yield of >400 mg per liter of fermentation with >92% purity and >39% target product recovery after purification. In addition, we show the results from analytical studies, including SEC-HPLC, DLS, and an ACE2 receptor binding assay that were performed to characterize the purified proteins to select the best purification process. Finally, we propose an optimized upstream fermentation and downstream purification process that generates quality RBD219-N1C1 protein antigen and is fully scalable at a low cost. Key points • Yeast fermentation conditions for a recombinant COVID-19 vaccine were determined. • Three purification protocols for a COVID-19 vaccine antigen were compared. • Reproducibility of a scalable, low-cost process for a COVID-19 vaccine was shown. Graphical abstract
![]() Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-021-11281-3.
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39
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Grabowski M, Macnar JM, Cymborowski M, Cooper DR, Shabalin IG, Gilski M, Brzezinski D, Kowiel M, Dauter Z, Rupp B, Wlodawer A, Jaskolski M, Minor W. Rapid response to emerging biomedical challenges and threats. IUCRJ 2021; 8:395-407. [PMID: 33953926 PMCID: PMC8086160 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252521003018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
As part of the global mobilization to combat the present pandemic, almost 100 000 COVID-19-related papers have been published and nearly a thousand models of macromolecules encoded by SARS-CoV-2 have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank within less than a year. The avalanche of new structural data has given rise to multiple resources dedicated to assessing the correctness and quality of structural data and models. Here, an approach to evaluate the massive amounts of such data using the resource https://covid19.bioreproducibility.org is described, which offers a template that could be used in large-scale initiatives undertaken in response to future biomedical crises. Broader use of the described methodology could considerably curtail information noise and significantly improve the reproducibility of biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Grabowski
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Joanna M. Macnar
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Center, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Cymborowski
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - David R. Cooper
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Ivan G. Shabalin
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Miroslaw Gilski
- Department of Crystallography, Faculty of Chemistry, A. Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
- Center for Biocrystallographic Research, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Dariusz Brzezinski
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Center for Biocrystallographic Research, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
- Institute of Computing Science, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland
| | - Marcin Kowiel
- Center for Biocrystallographic Research, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Dauter
- Center for Structural Biology, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Bernhard Rupp
- k.-k Hofkristallamt, San Diego, California, USA
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alexander Wlodawer
- Center for Structural Biology, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Mariusz Jaskolski
- Department of Crystallography, Faculty of Chemistry, A. Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
- Center for Biocrystallographic Research, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wladek Minor
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Chen WH, Wei J, Kundu RT, Adhikari R, Liu Z, Lee J, Versteeg L, Poveda C, Keegan B, Villar MJ, de Araujo Leao AC, Rivera JA, Gillespie PM, Pollet J, Strych U, Zhan B, Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME. Genetic modification to design a stable yeast-expressed recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain as a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:129893. [PMID: 33731300 PMCID: PMC7955913 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.129893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has now spread worldwide to infect over 110 million people, with approximately 2.5 million reported deaths. A safe and effective vaccine remains urgently needed. METHOD We constructed three variants of the recombinant receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein (residues 331-549) in yeast as follows: (1) a "wild type" RBD (RBD219-WT), (2) a deglycosylated form (RBD219-N1) by deleting the first N-glycosylation site, and (3) a combined deglycosylated and cysteine-mutagenized form (C538A-mutated variant (RBD219-N1C1)). We compared the expression yields, biophysical characteristics, and functionality of the proteins produced from these constructs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS These three recombinant RBDs showed similar secondary and tertiary structure thermal stability and had the same affinity to their receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2), suggesting that the selected deletion or mutations did not cause any significant structural changes or alteration of function. However, RBD219-N1C1 had a higher fermentation yield, was easier to purify, was not hyperglycosylated, and had a lower tendency to form oligomers, and thus was selected for further vaccine development and evaluation. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE By genetic modification, we were able to design a better-controlled and more stable vaccine candidate, which is an essential and important criterion for any process and manufacturing of biologics or drugs for human use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hsiang Chen
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Junfei Wei
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rakhi Tyagi Kundu
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rakesh Adhikari
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhuyun Liu
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jungsoon Lee
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Leroy Versteeg
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brian Keegan
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Jose Villar
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Portia M Gillespie
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bin Zhan
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter J Hotez
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA; James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA; James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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41
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Srivastava V, Niu L, Phadke KS, Bellaire BH, Cho MW. Induction of Potent and Durable Neutralizing Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 Using a Receptor Binding Domain-Based Immunogen. Front Immunol 2021; 12:637982. [PMID: 33777030 PMCID: PMC7991075 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.637982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel betacoronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes severe pneumonia emerged through zoonosis in late 2019. The disease, referred to as COVID-19, has an alarming mortality rate and it is having a devastating effect on the global economy and public health systems. A safe, effective vaccine is urgently needed to halt this pandemic. In this study, immunogenicity of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike (S) glycoprotein was examined in mice. Animals were immunized with recombinant RBD antigen intraperitoneally using three different adjuvants (Zn-chitosan, Alhydrogel, and Adju-Phos), and antibody responses were followed for over 5 months. Results showed that potent neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) can be induced with 70% neutralization titer (NT70) of ~14,580 against live, infectious viruses. Although antigen-binding antibody titers decreased gradually over time, sufficiently protective levels of nAbs persisted (NT80 >2,430) over the 5-month observation period. Results also showed that adjuvants have profound effects on kinetics of nAb induction, total antibody titers, antibody avidity, antibody longevity, and B-cell epitopes targeted by the immune system. In conclusion, a recombinant subunit protein immunogen based on the RBD is a highly promising vaccine candidate. Continued evaluation of RBD immunogenicity using different adjuvants and vaccine regimens could further improve vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Srivastava
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ling Niu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Kruttika S. Phadke
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Bryan H. Bellaire
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Michael W. Cho
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- NeoVaxSyn, Inc., Ames, IA, United States
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42
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Allen JD, Chawla H, Samsudin F, Zuzic L, Shivgan AT, Watanabe Y, He WT, Callaghan S, Song G, Yong P, Brouwer PJM, Song Y, Cai Y, Duyvesteyn HME, Malinauskas T, Kint J, Pino P, Wurm MJ, Frank M, Chen B, Stuart DI, Sanders RW, Andrabi R, Burton DR, Li S, Bond PJ, Crispin M. Site-specific steric control of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycosylation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.03.08.433764. [PMID: 33758835 PMCID: PMC7986994 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.08.433764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
A central tenet in the design of vaccines is the display of native-like antigens in the elicitation of protective immunity. The abundance of N-linked glycans across the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is a potential source of heterogeneity between the many different vaccine candidates under investigation. Here, we investigate the glycosylation of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins from five different laboratories and compare them against infectious virus S protein. We find patterns which are conserved across all samples and this can be associated with site-specific stalling of glycan maturation which act as a highly sensitive reporter of protein structure. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a fully glycosylated spike support s a model of steric restrictions that shape enzymatic processing of the glycans. These results suggest that recombinant spike-based SARS-CoV-2 immunogen glycosylation reproducibly recapitulates signatures of viral glycosylation.
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43
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Cao M, Su X, Jiang S. Broad-Spectrum Anti-coronavirus Vaccines and Therapeutics to Combat the Current COVID-19 Pandemic and Future Coronavirus Disease Outbreaks. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:398-411. [PMID: 33691145 PMCID: PMC7940144 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.12.010] [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: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
While the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is continuing, it may become worse in the coming winter months with a high potential for the emergence and spread of escape variants of SARS-CoV-2. SARS-related CoVs (SARSr-CoVs) from bats may also cause outbreaks of emerging coronavirus diseases in the future. These predictions call for the development of broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus vaccines and therapeutics to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic and future emerging coronavirus disease epidemics. In this review, we describe advances and challenges in the development of broad-spectrum vaccines and neutralizing antibodies against lineage B betacoronaviruses (β-CoV-Bs), including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and SARSr-CoVs, as well as peptide-based pan-CoV fusion inhibitors and their potential in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other human coronavirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Cao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaojie Su
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of MOE/MOH, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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44
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Dalvie NC, Rodriguez-Aponte SA, Hartwell BL, Tostanoski LH, Biedermann AM, Crowell LE, Kaur K, Kumru O, Carter L, Yu J, Chang A, McMahan K, Courant T, Lebas C, Lemnios AA, Rodrigues KA, Silva M, Johnston RS, Naranjo CA, Tracey MK, Brady JR, Whittaker CA, Yun D, Kar S, Porto M, Lok M, Andersen H, Lewis MG, Love KR, Camp DL, Silverman JM, Kleanthous H, Joshi SB, Volkin DB, Dubois PM, Collin N, King NP, Barouch DH, Irvine DJ, Love JC. Engineered SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain improves immunogenicity in mice and elicits protective immunity in hamsters. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.03.03.433558. [PMID: 33688647 PMCID: PMC7941618 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.03.433558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Global containment of COVID-19 still requires accessible and affordable vaccines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).1 Recently approved vaccines provide needed interventions, albeit at prices that may limit their global access.2 Subunit vaccines based on recombinant proteins are suited for large-volume microbial manufacturing to yield billions of doses annually, minimizing their manufacturing costs.3 These types of vaccines are well-established, proven interventions with multiple safe and efficacious commercial examples.4-6 Many vaccine candidates of this type for SARS-CoV-2 rely on sequences containing the receptor-binding domain (RBD), which mediates viral entry to cells via ACE2.7,8 Here we report an engineered sequence variant of RBD that exhibits high-yield manufacturability, high-affinity binding to ACE2, and enhanced immunogenicity after a single dose in mice compared to the Wuhan-Hu-1 variant used in current vaccines. Antibodies raised against the engineered protein exhibited heterotypic binding to the RBD from two recently reported SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (501Y.V1/V2). Presentation of the engineered RBD on a designed virus-like particle (VLP) also reduced weight loss in hamsters upon viral challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Dalvie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Sergio A Rodriguez-Aponte
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Brittany L Hartwell
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Lisa H Tostanoski
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew M Biedermann
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Laura E Crowell
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Kawaljit Kaur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66047, United States
| | - Ozan Kumru
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66047, United States
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jingyou Yu
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aiquan Chang
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Katherine McMahan
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Courant
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Celia Lebas
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ashley A Lemnios
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Kristen A Rodrigues
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Murillo Silva
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Ryan S Johnston
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Christopher A Naranjo
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Mary Kate Tracey
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Joseph R Brady
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Charles A Whittaker
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Dongsoo Yun
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Megan Lok
- Bioqual, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | | | | | - Kerry R Love
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Danielle L Camp
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Sangeeta B Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66047, United States
| | - David B Volkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66047, United States
| | - Patrice M Dubois
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Collin
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Neil P King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dan H Barouch
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - J Christopher Love
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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Pollet J, Chen WH, Strych U. Recombinant protein vaccines, a proven approach against coronavirus pandemics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 170:71-82. [PMID: 33421475 PMCID: PMC7788321 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
With the COVID-19 pandemic now ongoing for close to a year, people all over the world are still waiting for a vaccine to become available. The initial focus of accelerated global research and development efforts to bring a vaccine to market as soon as possible was on novel platform technologies that promised speed but had limited history in the clinic. In contrast, recombinant protein vaccines, with numerous examples in the clinic for many years, missed out on the early wave of investments from government and industry. Emerging data are now surfacing suggesting that recombinant protein vaccines indeed might offer an advantage or complement to the nucleic acid or viral vector vaccines that will likely reach the clinic faster. Here, we summarize the current public information on the nature and on the development status of recombinant subunit antigens and adjuvants targeting SARS-CoV-2 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Pollet
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Houston, TX, United States of America.
| | - Wen-Hsiang Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Houston, TX, United States of America
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46
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Su S, Du L, Jiang S. Learning from the past: development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:211-219. [PMID: 33067570 PMCID: PMC7566580 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-00462-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has elicited an equally rapid response aiming to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. These efforts are encouraging; however, comprehensive efficacy and safety evaluations are essential in the development of a vaccine, and we can learn from previous vaccine development campaigns. In this Perspective, we summarize examples of vaccine-associated disease enhancement in the history of developing vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus, dengue virus, SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which highlight the importance of a robust safety and efficacy profile, and present recommendations for preclinical and clinical evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine candidates as well as for vaccine design and optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Su
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH/CAM), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lanying Du
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH/CAM), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, USA.
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47
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Pollet J, Chen WH, Versteeg L, Keegan B, Zhan B, Wei J, Liu Z, Lee J, Kundu R, Adhikari R, Poveda C, Villar MJ, de Araujo Leao AC, Rivera JA, Momin Z, Gillespie PM, Kimata JT, Strych U, Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME. SARS-CoV-2 RBD219-N1C1: A Yeast-Expressed SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Receptor-Binding Domain Candidate Vaccine Stimulates Virus Neutralizing Antibodies and T-cell Immunity in Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2020.11.04.367359. [PMID: 33173864 PMCID: PMC7654852 DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.04.367359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for an accessible and low-cost COVID-19 vaccine suitable for low- and middle-income countries. Here we report on the development of a SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein, expressed at high levels in yeast ( Pichia pastoris ), as a suitable vaccine candidate against COVID-19. After introducing two modifications into the wild-type RBD gene to reduce yeast-derived hyperglycosylation and improve stability during protein expression, we show that the recombinant protein, RBD219-N1C1, is equivalent to the wild-type RBD recombinant protein (RBD219-WT) in an in vitro ACE-2 binding assay. Immunogenicity studies of RBD219-N1C1 and RBD219-WT proteins formulated with Alhydrogel ® were conducted in mice, and, after two doses, both the RBD219-WT and RBD219-N1C1 vaccines induced high levels of binding IgG antibodies. Using a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, we further showed that sera obtained after a two-dose immunization schedule of the vaccines were sufficient to elicit strong neutralizing antibody titers in the 1:1,000 to 1:10,000 range, for both antigens tested. The vaccines induced IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-10 secretion, among other cytokines. Overall, these data suggest that the RBD219-N1C1 recombinant protein, produced in yeast, is suitable for further evaluation as a human COVID-19 vaccine, in particular, in an Alhydrogel ® containing formulation and possibly in combination with other immunostimulants.
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48
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Sinegubova MV, Orlova NA, Kovnir SV, Dayanova LK, Vorobiev II. High-level expression of the monomeric SARS-CoV-2 S protein RBD 320-537 in stably transfected CHO cells by the EEF1A1-based plasmid vector. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0242890. [PMID: 33529230 PMCID: PMC7853477 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The spike (S) protein is one of the three proteins forming the coronaviruses' viral envelope. The S protein of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a spatial structure similar to the S proteins of other mammalian coronaviruses, except for a unique receptor-binding domain (RBD), which is a significant inducer of host immune response. Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RBD is widely used as a highly specific minimal antigen for serological tests. Correct exposure of antigenic determinants has a significant impact on the accuracy of such tests-the antigen has to be correctly folded, contain no potentially antigenic non-vertebrate glycans, and, preferably, should have a glycosylation pattern similar to the native S protein. Based on the previously developed p1.1 vector, containing the regulatory sequences of the Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha gene (EEF1A1) from Chinese hamster, we created two expression constructs encoding SARS-CoV-2 RBD with C-terminal c-myc and polyhistidine tags. RBDv1 contained a native viral signal peptide, RBDv2 -human tPA signal peptide. We transfected a CHO DG44 cell line, selected stably transfected cells, and performed a few rounds of methotrexate-driven amplification of the genetic cassette in the genome. For the RBDv2 variant, a high-yield clonal producer cell line was obtained. We developed a simple purification scheme that consistently yielded up to 30 mg of RBD protein per liter of the simple shake flask cell culture. Purified proteins were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in reducing and non-reducing conditions and gel filtration; for RBDv2 protein, the monomeric form content exceeded 90% for several series. Deglycosylation with PNGase F and mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of N-glycosylation. The antigen produced by the described technique is suitable for serological tests and subunit vaccine studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria V. Sinegubova
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezhda A. Orlova
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail:
| | - Sergey V. Kovnir
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Lutsia K. Dayanova
- Laboratory of Glycoproteins Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan I. Vorobiev
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Glycoproteins Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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49
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Domains and Functions of Spike Protein in Sars-Cov-2 in the Context of Vaccine Design. Viruses 2021; 13:v13010109. [PMID: 33466921 PMCID: PMC7829931 DOI: 10.3390/v13010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-2-S) interacts with the human ACE2 receptor to gain entry into a cell to initiate infection. Both Pfizer/BioNTech's BNT162b2 and Moderna's mRNA-1273 vaccine candidates are based on stabilized mRNA encoding prefusion SARS-2-S that can be produced after the mRNA is delivered into the human cell and translated. SARS-2-S is cleaved into S1 and S2 subunits, with S1 serving the function of receptor-binding and S2 serving the function of membrane fusion. Here, I dissect in detail the various domains of SARS-2-S and their functions discovered through a variety of different experimental and theoretical approaches to build a foundation for a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of how SARS-2-S works to achieve its function of mediating cell entry and subsequent cell-to-cell transmission. The integration of structure and function of SARS-2-S in this review should enhance our understanding of the dynamic processes involving receptor binding, multiple cleavage events, membrane fusion, viral entry, as well as the emergence of new viral variants. I highlighted the relevance of structural domains and dynamics to vaccine development, and discussed reasons for the spike protein to be frequently featured in the conspiracy theory claiming that SARS-CoV-2 is artificially created.
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50
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Greaney AJ, Starr TN, Gilchuk P, Zost SJ, Binshtein E, Loes AN, Hilton SK, Huddleston J, Eguia R, Crawford KHD, Dingens AS, Nargi RS, Sutton RE, Suryadevara N, Rothlauf PW, Liu Z, Whelan SPJ, Carnahan RH, Crowe JE, Bloom JD. Complete Mapping of Mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain that Escape Antibody Recognition. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:44-57.e9. [PMID: 33259788 PMCID: PMC7676316 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 716] [Impact Index Per Article: 238.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) are being developed as therapeutics and are a major contributor to neutralizing antibody responses elicited by infection. Here, we describe a deep mutational scanning method to map how all amino-acid mutations in the RBD affect antibody binding and apply this method to 10 human monoclonal antibodies. The escape mutations cluster on several surfaces of the RBD that broadly correspond to structurally defined antibody epitopes. However, even antibodies targeting the same surface often have distinct escape mutations. The complete escape maps predict which mutations are selected during viral growth in the presence of single antibodies. They further enable the design of escape-resistant antibody cocktails-including cocktails of antibodies that compete for binding to the same RBD surface but have different escape mutations. Therefore, complete escape-mutation maps enable rational design of antibody therapeutics and assessment of the antigenic consequences of viral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison J Greaney
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Genome Sciences & Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tyler N Starr
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Pavlo Gilchuk
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Seth J Zost
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Elad Binshtein
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Andrea N Loes
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Sarah K Hilton
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - John Huddleston
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Rachel Eguia
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Katharine H D Crawford
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Genome Sciences & Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Adam S Dingens
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Rachel S Nargi
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rachel E Sutton
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | - Paul W Rothlauf
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Program in Virology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhuoming Liu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sean P J Whelan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Robert H Carnahan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - James E Crowe
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Jesse D Bloom
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Genome Sciences & Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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