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Masuda A, Lee JM, Miyata T, Mon H, Sato K, Oyama K, Sakurai Y, Yasuda J, Takahashi D, Ueda T, Kato Y, Nishida M, Karasaki N, Kakino K, Ebihara T, Nagasato T, Hino M, Nakashima A, Suzuki K, Tonooka Y, Tanaka M, Moriyama T, Nakatake H, Fujita R, Kusakabe T. Optimization of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Expression in the Silkworm and Induction of Efficient Protective Immunity by Inoculation With Alum Adjuvants. Front Immunol 2022; 12:803647. [PMID: 35095889 PMCID: PMC8789674 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.803647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The newly emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing a spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) globally. In order to end the COVID-19 pandemic, an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 must be produced at low cost and disseminated worldwide. The spike (S) protein of coronaviruses plays a pivotal role in the infection to host cells. Therefore, targeting the S protein is one of the most rational approaches in developing vaccines and therapeutic agents. In this study, we optimized the expression of secreted trimerized S protein of SARS-CoV-2 using a silkworm-baculovirus expression vector system and evaluated its immunogenicity in mice. The results showed that the S protein forming the trimeric structure was the most stable when the chicken cartilage matrix protein was used as the trimeric motif and could be purified in large amounts from the serum of silkworm larvae. The purified S protein efficiently induced antigen-specific antibodies in mouse serum without adjuvant, but its ability to induce neutralizing antibodies was low. After examining several adjuvants, the use of Alum adjuvant was the most effective in inducing strong neutralizing antibody induction. We also examined the adjuvant effect of paramylon from Euglena gracilis when administered with the S protein. Our results highlight the effectiveness and suitable construct design of the S protein produced in silkworms for the subunit vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akitsu Masuda
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Jae Man Lee
- Laboratory of Creative Science for Insect Industries, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Miyata
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Mon
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Keita Sato
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kosuke Oyama
- Laboratory of Protein Structure, Function and Design, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yasuteru Sakurai
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Jiro Yasuda
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takahashi
- Laboratory of Protein Structure, Function and Design, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Ueda
- Laboratory of Protein Structure, Function and Design, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuri Kato
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Motohiro Nishida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Noriko Karasaki
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kohei Kakino
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeru Ebihara
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takumi Nagasato
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masato Hino
- Laboratory of Sanitary Entomology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ayaka Nakashima
- The Research and Development Department, Euglena Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kengo Suzuki
- The Research and Development Department, Euglena Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshino Tonooka
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Miyu Tanaka
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takato Moriyama
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | - Ryosuke Fujita
- Laboratory of Sanitary Entomology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takahiro Kusakabe
- Laboratory of Insect Genome Science, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Soejima K, Mimura N, Yonemura H, Nakatake H, Imamura T, Nozaki C. An efficient refolding method for the preparation of recombinant human prethrombin-2 and characterization of the recombinant-derived alpha-thrombin. J Biochem 2001; 130:269-77. [PMID: 11481045 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a002982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human recombinant prethrombin-2 was produced in Escherichia coli. The expressed prethrombin-2 formed intracellular inclusion bodies from which the protein was refolded by a simple one-step dilution process in buffer consisting of 50 mM Tris-HCl, containing 20 mM CaCl(2), 500 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA, 600 mM arginine, 1 mM cysteine, 0.1 mM cystine, 10% (v/v) glycerol, and 0.2% (w/v) Brij-58 at pH 8.5. After refolding, prethrombin-2 was purified by hirudin-based COOH-terminal peptide affinity chromatography, and then activated with Echis carinatus snake venom prothrombin activator (ecarin). The activated protein, alpha-thrombin, was then tested for several activities including activity toward chromogenic substrate, release of fibrinopeptide A from fibrinogen, activation of protein C, and thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor, reactivity with antithrombin, clotting activity, and platelet aggregation. The kinetic data showed no differences in activity between our recombinant alpha-thrombin and plasma-derived alpha-thrombin. The yield of refolded recombinant human prethrombin-2 was about 4-7% of the starting amount of solubilized protein. In addition, the final yield of purified refolded protein was 0.5-1%, and about 1 mg of recombinant prethrombin-2 could be isolated from 1 liter of E. coli cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Soejima
- First Research Department, The Chemo-Sero-Therapeutic Research Institute, Kawabe, Kyokushi, Kikuchi, Kumamoto 869-1298, Japan.
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Sakamoto S, Ide T, Nakatake H, Tokiyoshi S, Yamamoto M, Kawai A, Smith JS. Studies on the antigenicity and nucleotide sequence of the rabies virus Nishigahara strain, a current seed strain used for dog vaccine production in Japan. Virus Genes 1994; 8:35-46. [PMID: 8209421 DOI: 10.1007/bf01703600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The Nishigahara strain of rabies virus, a current seed strain used for animal vaccine production in Japan, is believed to derived from the original Pasteur strain obtained from Paris in or before 1915. In Japan, the virus was serially passaged through several kinds of animals and cell cultures. Reactions with anti-nucleocapsid protein monoclonal antibodies (MAb-N) indicated the Nishigahara strain had maintained the antigenic profile of the Pasteur virus. Reactions with monoclonal antibodies to the glycoprotein (MAb-G) revealed differences between the Nishigahara strain and the Pasteur strain; however, the Nishigahara strain maintained a closer resemblance to the Pasteur virus than to other Pasteur-related viruses or to rabies strains unrelated to the Pasteur strain. Comparative amino acid sequence analysis of cloned cDNA encoding the G gene confirmed the antigenic differences among these strains and the resemblance of the Nishigahara strain to the original Pasteur strain. Comparative nucleotide sequence analysis of the noncoding pseudogene region (Tordo et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83, 3914-3918, 1986) revealed different relationships. Unlike the Pasteur strain, which encodes a transcription-terminating signal at the end of the G gene (marking the beginning of the pseudogene), a long G-L intergenic sequence in the Nishigahara strain was connected to the 3' end of the cDNA, and the transcription-terminating signal was present only at the end of, but not before, the pseudogene. These results are not inconsistent with the documented origin of the Nishigahara strain, but the genome structure around the pseudogene region suggests divergence from the Pasteur strain and a closer resemblance to other strains of rabies virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Sakamoto
- Research and Development Department, Chemo-Sero-Therapeutic Research Institute (Kaketsuken), Kumamoto, Japan
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Nakatake H, Chisaka O, Yamamoto S, Matsubara K, Koshy R. Effect of X protein on transactivation of hepatitis B virus promoters and on viral replication. Virology 1993; 195:305-14. [PMID: 8337816 DOI: 10.1006/viro.1993.1381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The X gene product of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transactivates a wide variety of promoters, including four promoters on the HBV genome (Rossner, 1992, J. Med. Virol. 36, 101-117). We compared their transactivation efficiencies and investigated whether the spatial organization of the promoters with respect to other cis-acting elements might influence their activities. Eight reporter plasmid constructs containing the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene were designed such that four had the isolated HBV promoters linked to the CAT gene. In the other four, the CAT gene was inserted downstream to each of the four promoters retained in context in the HBV genome. Cells of the human hepatoblastoma line HepG2 were transfected with each one of these reporters together with an effector plasmid, pRSVX, which allowed expression of X protein. All of these promoters could be stimulated by X protein by approximately 2- to 3.5-fold irrespective of their spatial context in the HBV genome. Mutational analysis of in-frame ATG codons in the X gene provides evidence that transactivator product(s) are produced by internal initiation of translation. Transfection of HepG2 cells with HBV genomes bearing a stop mutation in the X gene at codon 118 resulted in poor production of all viral components. Their syntheses were restored upon transfection of the wild-type X gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Nakatake
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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Nishihara T, Nozaki C, Nakatake H, Hoshiko K, Esumi M, Hayashi N, Hino K, Hamada F, Mizuno K, Shikata T. Secretion and purification of hepatitis C virus NS1 glycoprotein produced by recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. Gene 1993; 129:207-14. [PMID: 7686870 DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(93)90270-d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant baculoviruses that produce a putative non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of hepatitis C virus (HCV), predicted to be the second envelope glycoprotein, were constructed. The recombinant NS1 protein (re-NS1) produced in infected insect cells was localized on the cell surface and was apparently glycosylated, because it was susceptible to treatment with both tunicamycin and N-glycanase. Furthermore, re-NS1 was effectively secreted into the culture supernatant when the putative NS1 signal peptide (SP) was replaced by the SP of rabies virus G protein, and the C-terminal hydrophobic region was eliminated. The secreted re-NS1 was tagged with six His residues at the C terminus and purified simply by native Ni(2+)-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni(2+)-NTA) affinity column chromatography. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the serological diagnosis of HC using purified re-NS1. Anti-NS1 antibody (Ab) was detected in 55 of 60 patients (92%) with chronic HC liver diseases. Thus, this ELISA for Ab directed against HCV re-NS1 produced in insect cells is useful for the detection of chronic HC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Nishihara
- Chemo-sero Therapeutic Research Institute, Kikuchi Laboratories, Kumamoto, Japan
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Yamamoto S, Nakatake H, Kawamoto S, Takimoto M, Koshy R, Matsubara K. Transactivation of cellular promoters by an integrated hepatitis B virus DNA. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1993; 192:111-8. [PMID: 8476412 DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1993.1388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
A new Hepatitis B virus(HBV) DNA integrant clone DA2-6, isolated from a human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) genomic library, was tested for its ability to transactivate expression of other genes. DA2-6 consists of 3.7 kb flanking cellular sequences and an integrated 2.8 kb HBV DNA which covers the region of preS, S, and the 3' truncated X. Using a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay, a number of cellular and viral promoters were transactivated by DA2-6, and the spectrum of transactivational effect was the same as that by the wild type X gene of the virus. Deletion mutant analyses indicated that the transactivation function of DA2-6 is expressed by the region that encodes a truncated X-cell fusion product.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Yamamoto
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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Suzuki AS, Nakatake H, Hidaka T. Cell-to-cell contact in primary embryonic induction: effects of lectin on electrical coupling and neural induction. Differentiation 1984; 28:73-7. [PMID: 6519369 DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-0436.1984.tb00268.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The effects of lectin (concanavalin A; ConA) on the electrical coupling between inducing chorda-mesoderm and reacting ectoderm cells, and the realization of neural induction were investigated. The electrical coupling between cells of the chorda-mesoderm of the late gastrula (stage 13b) and the competent ectoderm or Con-A-treated ectoderm of the early gastrula (stage 12a) was measured. Neural induction was tested with ectoderm explants which had been combined with the inducing chorda-mesoderm for 1, 3 and 6 h. Electrical coupling was observed after 3 h. By 6 h, the coupling ratio had recovered to the same level as that between the homogeneous germ-layer cells. However, the electrical coupling did not recover in the combinant with Con-A-treated ectoderm. This suggests that Con-A disturbs close cell contact between the ectoderm and chorda-mesoderm cells. Neural induction was realized in the ectoderm which was combined with chorda-mesoderm for more than 3 h; this occurred parallel to the recovery of electrical coupling. In contrast, Con-A treatment (50 micrograms/ml) of the competent ectoderm for 30 min prevented neural induction. After 3 h of contact, the neural induction of Con-A-treated ectoderm was only one-third of that of the control ectoderm. The present study suggests that cellular contact between the inducing mesoderm and the ectoderm target cells plays an important role in the realization of neural induction.
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