Hepatitis E virus (HEV) open reading frame 2: Role in pathogenesis and diagnosis in HEV infections

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection occurs worldwide. The HEV genome includes three to four open reading frames (ORF1-4). ORF1 proteins are essential for viral replication, while the ORF3 protein is an ion channel involved in the exit of HEV from the infected cells. ORF2 proteins form the viral capsid required for HEV invasion and assembly. They also suppress interferon production and inhibit antibody-mediated neutralisation of HEV, allowing the virus to hijack the host immune response. ORF2 is the only detectable viral protein in the human liver during HEV infection and it is secreted in the plasma, stool, and urine of HEV-infected patients, making it a reliable diagnostic marker. The plasma HEV ORF2 antigen level can predict the outcome of HEV infections. Hence, monitoring HEV ORF2 antigen levels may be useful in assessing the efficacy of anti-HEV therapy. The ORF2 antigen is immunogenic and includes epitopes that can induce neutralising antibodies; therefore, it is a potential HEV vaccine candidate. In this review, we highlighted the different forms of HEV ORF2 protein and their roles in HEV pathogenesis, diagnosis, monitoring the therapeutic efficacy, and vaccine development.

Antigenic Characterization of ORF2 and ORF3 Proteins of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV)

To evaluate the antigenic properties of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Open Reading Frame 2 and 3 (ORF2 and ORF3) codified proteins, we expressed different portions of ORF2 and the entire ORF3 in E. coli, a truncated ORF2, was also expressed in baculovirus. A panel of 37 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was raised against ORF2 (1-660 amino acids) and MAbs were mapped and characterized using the ORF2 expressed portions. Selected HEV positive and negative swine sera were used to evaluate ORF2 and ORF3 antigens' immunogenicity. The MAbs were clustered in six groups identifying six antigenic regions along the ORF2. Only MAbs binding to the sixth ORF2 antigenic region (394-608 aa) were found to compete with HEV positive sera and efficiently catch the recombinant antigen expressed in baculovirus. The ORF2 portion from 394-608 aa demonstrated to include most immunogenic epitopes with 85% of HEV positive swine sera reacting against the region from 461-544 aa. Only 5% of the selected HEV sera reacted against the ORF3 antigen.

Designing, Construction and Expression of a Recombinant Fusion Protein Comprising the Hepatitis E Virus ORF2 and Rotavirus NSP4 in the Baculovirus Expression System

Background

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) accounts for hepatitis E infection with relatively high mortality rate in pregnant women that can lead to fulminant hepatitis. The baculovirus expression system (BES) has the capability to produce high-level recombinant proteins and could be useful for vaccine designing.

Objectives

The aim of this study was designing a recombinant hepatitis E virus ORF2 and Rotavirus NSP4 (ORF2-NSP4) and to evaluating construction these recombinant proteins in the BES.

Methods

The truncated ORF2 gene (112-607) and truncated ORF2-NSP4 were subcloned in pFastBac1 plasmid, separately, followed by digestion and confirmed by digestion and sequencing. Then the products were transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α and retransformed in DH10Bac competent cells. Finally the white colonies containing Bacmid DNA subjected to PCR for confirming transformation. Bacmid DNA containing HEV truncated ORF2 and HEV truncated ORF2-NSP4 genes were transfected into SF9 cells using BES. The expressed proteins in the cell lysate were evaluated by SDS-PAGE and determined by the western blot assay.

Results

The lengths of subcloned genes, truncated ORF2 and truncated ORF2-NSP4 were 1500 and 2000bp, respectively. After retransforming in DH10Bac, the size of PCR products were 300 bp in Bacmid DNA without recombination while it was 4300 and 3800 bp in Bacmid truncated ORF2-NSP4 and Bacmid truncated ORF2 PCR products. The analysis of protein expression by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting revealed the presence of 56 KDa for truncated ORF2 and 74.5 KDa for truncated ORF2-NSP4 proteins.

Conclusions

The results of the present study showed that the baculovirus expression system (SF9 cells) was able to express truncated ORF2 and truncated ORF2-NSP4 proteins as a potential candidate vaccine.