title: The expression, purification, and immunogenicity of a new chimeric virus-like particle.
abstract: Virus-like particles (VLPs) are highly immunogenic. In this study, gene fragments encoding hepatitis A virus (HAV) vp1 (aa 24-171), a hepatitis E virus (HEV) ORF2 gene fragment encoding aa 431-615, and gene fragments encoding a nine-peptide linker were spliced together. The spliced gene fragments were then inserted into the expression vector pBV220, resulting in the recombinant plasmid pBV-EA342, which expressed a 342-amino acid fusion protein. The fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and specifically reacted to human hepatitis A- and E-positive sera. VLPs were formed during the renaturation of the EA342 fusion protein. The chimeric HAV and HEV VLPs were able to immunize KM mice, and they induced strong anti-HAV and anti-HEV humoral immune responses. These results are promising for future studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biology, Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kui
authors.forename: Maosheng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Tianhong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Wenju
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Kaili
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; C400971:ORF2 protein, Hepatitis E virus; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C096539:VP1 protein, hepatitis A virus; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D014764:Viral Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins