Hybrid human immunodeficiency virus Gag particles as an antigen carrier system: induction of cytotoxic T-cell and humoral responses by a Gag:V3 fusion

Abstract

In attempts to increase the immunogenicity of recombinant antigens, a number of particulate antigen presentation systems have been developed. In this study, we used human immunodeficiency virus Gag particles as carriers for the human immunodeficiency virus envelope V3 region. Gag:V3 fusion proteins were expressed from baculovirus expression vectors; they migrated to the insect cell membrane and budded from the cells as hybrid particles. An immunization study carried out with rats showed that the particles elicited a strong anti-Gag antibody response and a weak antibody response to the V3 region. A strong anti-V3 cytolytic T-cell response was elicited in immunized mice. These data show that retroviral Gag particles can be used as antigen presentation vehicles.

Phage display particles expressing tumor‐specific antigens induce preventive and therapeutic anti‐tumor immunity in murine p815 model

“…31 Some protein complexes that physically mimic viral particles have also been found to effectively elicit CTLs against hepatitis B surface antigen 32 that assembles into 20 nm particles and the yeast retrotransposon encoded protein Ty that assembles into virus-like particles (VLP). 33 The filamentous phage particle is an asymmetric particle about 6 nm in diameter and 800 -2,000 nm long, comprising a sheath of several thousand gpVIII around a single-stranded circular DNA molecule at the core. 34 Recently we found that the recombinant filamentous phage particles that displayed CTL epitope from hepatitis B virus surface antigen primed strong MHC class I-restricted CTL responses in vivo.…”

A recombinant virus-like particle system derived from parvovirus as an efficient antigen carrier to elicit a polarized Th1 immune response without adjuvant

“…Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-derived particulate core (HBcAg) and surface (HBsAg) antigens have been widely used for analyzing T cell immunity to HBV [1], and the high immunogenicity of these antigens has also led to the consideration of these molecules as carriers for foreign antigens [2,3]. The development of other virus-like particle systems to deliver foreign epitopes or antigens has proven that such non-replicating vectors represent an efficient and completely safe strategy for eliciting T cell immune responses [4][5][6][7]. However, to date only little is known about the mechanism of uptake and the processing requirements of virus-like particles leading to presentation of such antigens to T cells by MHC molecules.…”

MHC Class I Presentation of Live and Heat‐Inactivated Sendai Virus Antigen in T2Kb Cells Depends on an Intracellular Compartment with Endosomal Characteristics

“…However, more recently, a variety of modified forms of exogenous antigens have been shown to be processed for MHC class I presentation, indicating the presence of alternative pathways [5]. These different exogenous antigens include whole cells [6,7], inactivated viruses [8], immune stimulating complex [9][10][11][12], liposomes [13][14][15], heat shock protein-bound antigens [16][17], recombinant bacteria [18], antigen-coupled beads [19], lipid conjugated antigens [20], and denatured and/or aggregated proteins [20][21][22][23][24][25].…”