title: Dengue-specific subviral nanoparticles: design, creation and characterization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dengue is today the most significant of arboviral diseases. Novel tools are necessary to effectively address the problem of dengue. Virus-like particles (VLP) offer a versatile nanoscale platform for developing tools with potential biomedical applications. From the perspective of a potentially useful dengue-specific tool, the dengue virus envelope protein domain III (EDIII), endowed with serotype-specificity, host receptor recognition and the capacity to elicit virus-neutralizing antibodies, is an attractive candidate.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have developed a strategy to co-express and co-purify Hepatitis B virus surface (S) antigen in two forms: independently and as a fusion with EDIII. We characterized these physically and functionally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two forms of the S antigen associate into VLPs. The ability of these to display EDIII in a functionally accessible manner is dependent upon the relative levels of the two forms of the S antigen. Mosaic VLPs containing the fused and un-fused components in 1:4 ratio displayed maximal functional competence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VLPs armed with EDIII may be potentially useful in diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic applications.
authors.affiliation: Recombinant Gene Products Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.
authors.forename: Niyati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khetarpal
authors.forename: Ankur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poddar
authors.forename: Satish K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Nemani
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dhar
authors.forename: Aravind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Negi
authors.forename: Ashiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perween
authors.forename: Ramaswamy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lünsdorf
authors.forename: Poornima
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raut
authors.forename: Upasana
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Swatantra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rinas
authors.forename: Sathyamangalam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Swaminathan
authors.forename: Navin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khanna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002457:Cell Extracts; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003715:Dengue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010843:Pichia / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013045:Species Specificity; D014709:Vero Cells; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002457:Cell Extracts; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C118669:S envelope protein, hepatitis B virus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins