Generation of hepatitis C virus-like particles by use of a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vector.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major etiologic agent of hepatocellular carcinoma, presently infects approximately 400 million people worldwide, making the development of protective measures against HCV infection a key objective. Here we have generated a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which expresses the HCV structural proteins, by inserting the contiguous Core, E1, and E2 coding region of HCV into the VSV genome. Recombinant VSV expressing HCV Core, E1, and E2 (VSV-HCV-C/E1/E2) grew to high titers in vitro and efficiently expressed the incorporated HCV gene product, which became fully processed into the individual HCV structural proteins. Biochemical and biophysical analysis indicated that the HCV Core, E1, and E2 proteins assembled to form HCV-like particles (HCV-LPs) possessing properties similar to the ultrastructural properties of HCV virions. Mice immunized with VSV-HCV-C/E1/E2 generated cell-mediated immune responses to all of the HCV structural proteins, and humoral responses, particularly to E2, were also readily evident. Our data collectively indicate that engineered VSVs expressing HCV Core, E1, and E2 and/or HCV-LPs represent useful tools in vaccine and immunotherapeutic strategies designed to address HCV infection.
Ezelle
Heather J
HJ
Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
Markovic
Dubravka
D
Barber
Glen N
GN
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000235:genetics*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D019065:Virus Assembly
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; C087035:E1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus