title: Improved Production Efficiency of Virus-Like Particles by the Baculovirus Expression Vector System.
abstract: Vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLPs) have proven effective in humans and animals. In this regard, the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is one of the technologies of choice to generate such highly immunogenic vaccines. The extended use of these vaccines for human and animal populations is constrained because of high production costs, therefore a significant improvement in productivity is crucial to ensure their commercial viability. Here we describe the use of the previously described baculovirus expression cassette, called TB, to model the production of two VLP-forming vaccine antigens in insect cells. Capsid proteins from porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2 Cap) and from the calicivirus that causes rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV VP60) were expressed in insect cells using baculoviruses genetically engineered with the TB expression cassette. Productivity was compared to that obtained using standard counterpart vectors expressing the same proteins under the control of the polyhedrin promoter. Our results demonstrate that the use of the TB expression cassette increased the production yields of these vaccine antigens by around 300% with respect to the standard vectors. The recombinant proteins produced by TB-modified vectors were fully functional, forming VLPs identical in size and shape to those generated by the standard baculoviruses, as determined by electron microscopy analysis. The use of the TB expression cassette implies a simple modification of the baculovirus vectors that significantly improves the cost efficiency of VLP-based vaccine production, thereby facilitating the commercial viability and broad application of these vaccines for human and animal health.
authors.affiliation: Alternative Gene Expression S.L. (ALGENEX), Edificio de empresas, Campus Montegancedo (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Vidal
authors.affiliation: Alternative Gene Expression S.L. (ALGENEX), Edificio de empresas, Campus Montegancedo (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gómez-Sebastián
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bárcena
authors.affiliation: Alternative Gene Expression S.L. (ALGENEX), Edificio de empresas, Campus Montegancedo (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Nuñez
authors.affiliation: Alternative Gene Expression S.L. (ALGENEX), Edificio de empresas, Campus Montegancedo (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martínez-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Alternative Gene Expression S.L. (ALGENEX), Edificio de empresas, Campus Montegancedo (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dudognon
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Autovia A6 Km 7, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guijarro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Autovia A6 Km 7, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Escribano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000166:cytology; D013552:Swine; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle