title: HRA2pl peptide: a fusion inhibitor for human metapneumovirus produced in tobacco plants by transient transformation.
abstract: The HRA2pl peptide expressed by transient transformation in N. tabacum plants is capable of inhibiting the binding of the human metapneumovirus to HEp-2 cells at the fusion stage. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is an agent responsible for acute respiratory infections that mainly affects children under 3 years, the elderly and immunocompromised patients. In children younger than 5 years, respiratory tract infections account for 20 % of deaths worldwide. However, there is currently no treatment or vaccine available against hMPV. The production of a safe, efficient and low cost treatment against this virus is a current challenge. Plants provide a system for recombinant protein production that is cost effective and is easier to scale up to an industrial level than other platforms; in addition, the plant tissue may be used as raw food, dried or, alternatively, proteins may be partially or fully purified and administered in aerosol or capsules as dry powder. In this study, we designed a gene expressing an antiviral peptide against hMPV based on the heptad repeat A domain of the F protein of the virus. We produced the recombinant peptide by a viral transient expression system (Magnifection(®)) in Nicotiana tabacum plants. The efficacy of this antiviral peptide was confirmed by in vitro assays in HEp-2 cell line. This is a promising result that can offer a prophylactic approach against hMPV.
authors.affiliation: División de Biología Molecular, IPICYT/Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A. C., Camino a la Presa de San José 2055, 78216, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Verónica A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Márquez-Escobar
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tirado-Mendoza
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Noyola
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Ortega
authors.forename: Ángel G
authors.initials: ÁG
authors.lastname: Alpuche-Solís
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001681:Biological Assay; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D053586:Virus Internalization / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C000606438:HRA2pl peptide; D010455:Peptides
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