title: Chimeric hepatitis B virus core particles carrying an epitope of anthrax protective antigen induce protective immunity against Bacillus anthracis.
abstract: The major aim of present study is to develop and evaluate chimeric virus-like particles (VLPs) displaying a neutralizing epitope of anthrax protective antigen (PA) as a potential vaccine against anthrax. The truncated hepatitis B virus core (HBc) protein (aa 1-144) was used as a carrier, and the 2beta2-2beta3 loop of the PA domain 2 (aa 302-325) which has been shown contains a dominant neutralizing epitope was inserted into the major immunodominant region (MIR) of the HBc. The recombinant protein HBc-N144-PA-loop2 was expressed in Escherichia coli, and was able to form HBc-like particles confirmed by electron microscopy. The immunogenicity of these chimeric particles was evaluated in mice and guinea pigs. In mice the HBc-N144-PA-loop2 was able to induce PA-epitope specific antibodies; in guinea pigs it was able to induce PA-epitope specific antibodies and anthrax toxin-neutralizing antibodies regardless of whether alum adjuvant was used or not, and was able to partially protect the immunized guinea pigs against virulent anthrax spores challenge. This study suggests chimeric HBc particles carrying a neutralizing epitope of PA can induce protective immunity against Bacillus anthracis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 20 Dongdajie, Fengtai, Beijing 100071, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dayong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Shuling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Guanlin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000534:Alum Compounds; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022122:Anthrax Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D050506:Mutant Chimeric Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010957:Plasmids; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000534:Alum Compounds; D022122:Anthrax Vaccines; D000939:Epitopes; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D050506:Mutant Chimeric Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; C041524:aluminum sulfate