The expression, purification, and immunogenicity of a new chimeric virus-like particle

• Published in: Viral immunology Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 49
• Main Authors: Kui, Xiang, Sun, Maosheng, Xie, Tianhong, Wang, Wenju, Jiang, Lin, Yan, Min, Ma, Kaili, Li, Hongjun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-02-2009
• Subjects: Animals; Escherichia coli - genetics; Genetic Engineering - methods; Hepatitis A - immunology; Hepatitis A - virology; Hepatitis A Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis A Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis A Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis A virus - immunology; Hepatitis Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis E - immunology; Hepatitis E - virology; Hepatitis E virus - immunology; Immunization; Mice; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - immunology; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - isolation & purification; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Vaccines, Synthetic - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Viral Hepatitis Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viral Hepatitis Vaccines - immunology; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - immunology; Viral Proteins - metabolism; Viral Structural Proteins - genetics; Viral Structural Proteins - immunology; Viral Structural Proteins - metabolism; Virion - genetics; Virion - immunology; Virion - isolation & purification; Virion - metabolism
• ISSN: 1557-8976
• DOI: 10.1089/vim.2008.0068

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are highly immunogenic. In this study, gene fragments encoding hepatitis A virus (HAV) vp1 (aa 24-171), a hepatitis E virus (HEV) ORF2 gene fragment encoding aa 431-615, and gene fragments encoding a nine-peptide linker were spliced together. The spliced gene fragments were then inserted into the expression vector pBV220, resulting in the recombinant plasmid pBV-EA342, which expressed a 342-amino acid fusion protein. The fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and specifically reacted to human hepatitis A- and E-positive sera. VLPs were formed during the renaturation of the EA342 fusion protein. The chimeric HAV and HEV VLPs were able to immunize KM mice, and they induced strong anti-HAV and anti-HEV humoral immune responses. These results are promising for future studies.