title: Combination of human cytomegalovirus recombinant immediate-early protein (IE1) with 80 nm cationic biovectors: protection from proteolysis and potentiation of presentation to CD4+ T-cell clones in vitro.
abstract: We have shown in a previous study that the proliferative CD4+ T-cell response to the regulatory immediate-early protein IE1 was a major component of the overall anti viral response in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) seropositive blood donors. This viral antigen may be valuable in subunit vaccine design, since anti IE1 CD4+ T cells might provide help for production of antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses, and could take part in the control of viral infection. Preliminary to the elaboration of future vaccine formulations, we developed immunogenic complexes resulting from the combination of a purified recombinant protein derived from the fusion of Escherichia coli glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and a large C-terminal fragment (e4) of IE1, with new 80 nm cationic synthetic particles called Biovectors. We have shown that the antigen GST-e4 was stably complexed to vectors and that, contrary to the soluble form, it was protected from proteolysis in cell culture medium. By confocal microscopy we observed that the synthetic vectors were internalized by lymphoblastoid B cells, providing a significant enhancement of antigen delivery in antigen presenting cells (APC). Indeed, we demonstrated that the previous combination of antigen with particles, significantly enhanced the proliferation of specific CD4+ T-cell clones directed against IE1 in vitro, when either HLA-matched isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells or EBV transformed B cell lines were used as APC. The relevance of these observations to the use of these new vectors for vaccine design against HCMV is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Inserm U395, IFR 30, UPS, CNRS, CHU, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prieur
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Betbeder
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Niedergang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alcover
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Davignon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Davrinche
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000235:genetics; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002412:Cations; D010450:Endopeptidases; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D010316:Particle Size; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002412:Cations; C088645:IE1 protein, cytomegalovirus; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D010450:Endopeptidases