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.
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.
Geldmacher
Astrid
A
Institute of Virology, Charité Medical School, Campus Mitte, D-10098 Berlin, Germany.
Skrastina
Dace
D
Borisova
Galina
G
Petrovskis
Ivars
I
Krüger
Detlev H
DH
Pumpens
Paul
P
Ulrich
Rainer
R
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
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic