title: A hantavirus nucleocapsid protein segment exposed on hepatitis B virus core particles is highly immunogenic in mice when applied without adjuvants or in the presence of pre-existing anti-core antibodies.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core particles carrying the amino-terminal 120 amino acids (aa) of the nucleocapsid (N) protein of the hantaviruses Dobrava, Hantaan or Puumala have been demonstrated to be highly immunogenic in mice when complexed with adjuvants. Here we demonstrate that even without adjuvant, these chimeric particles induced high-titered, and strongly cross-reactive N-specific antibody responses in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. The induced N-specific antibodies represented all IgG subclasses. Pre-existing core-specific antibodies did not abrogate the induction of an N-specific immune response by a hantavirus N insert presented on core particles. Therefore, chimeric core particles should represent promising vaccine candidates even for anti-core positive humans.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Charité Medical School, Campus Mitte, D-10098 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geldmacher
authors.forename: Dace
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skrastina
authors.forename: Galina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borisova
authors.forename: Ivars
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petrovskis
authors.forename: Detlev H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pumpens
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ulrich
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic