title: Enhancement of vaccine potency by fusing modified LTK63 into human papillomavirus type 16 chimeric virus-like particles.
abstract: To enhance the immunogenicity of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV 16) virus-like particles (VLPs), the modified adjuvant, mLTK63, was fused to the C-terminus of HPV 16 L2 protein. Coexpression of HPV 16 L1 and L2-mLTK63 proteins in insect cells led to the efficient assembly of HPV 16 L1/L2-mLTK63 chimeric VLPs (cVLPs), which combined the antigen and adjuvant as a unit. Compared with HPV 16 L1/L2 VLPs, the HPV 16 L1/L2-mLTK63 cVLPs had similar structural biology characteristics and binding activities with the cell surface receptors and HPV 16-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. Intramuscular immunization of BALB/c mice with the HPV 16 L1/L2-mLTK63 cVLPs could induce higher titers of HPV 16-specific long-lasting neutralizing serum antibodies and stronger splenocyte proliferation, Th1- and Th2-type cytokines and CD4(+) Th responses than HPV 16 L1/L2 VLPs. The results suggested that it is possible to enhance the immunogenicity of HPV VLP vaccines via a strategy of fusing effective adjuvant protein into cVLPs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Structural Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yufei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000276:immunology*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D022701:Virosomes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C063316:L2 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D022701:Virosomes; C063317:L1 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; C027538:heat-labile enterotoxin, E coli