title: Recombinant heat shock protein 65 carrying hepatitis B core antigen induces HBcAg-specific CTL response.
abstract: Many studies have provided evidence that heat shock protein 65 (Hsp65) can elicit potent specific cellular adaptive immune responses (e.g. CD8(+) cytotoxic T-cell effectors or classic CTLs) based on their ability to chaperone antigenic peptides. Hsp65 is thus an effective carrier for heterologous peptide epitopes for therapeutic vaccines against cancer or chronic infectious diseases. The core antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBcAg) is extremely immunogenic, and functions as both a T-cell-dependent and a T-cell-independent antigen. Therefore, HBcAg may be a promising candidate target for therapeutic vaccine control of chronic HBV infection. Here, a chimeric protein, Hsp65Bc, was created by fusing the HBcAg sequence to the carboxyl terminus of the Hsp65 sequence in E. coli. Analysis of its antigenicity and immunogenicity revealed that HBc epitopes are surface accessible. Hsp65Bc induced moderate anti-HBc immune responses as well as a strong specific T-cell response in BALB/c mice. These results indicate that Hsp65Bc may have potential as a vaccine for treatment of HBV chronic infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdaije Street, Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, China.
authors.forename: Bing-fen
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hong-liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Xiang-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-qin
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Zhi-min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D018833:Chaperonins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C074119:heat-shock protein 65, Mycobacterium; D018833:Chaperonins