Self-assembly of virus-like particles of canine parvovirus capsid protein expressed from Escherichia coli and application as virus-like particle vaccine

Abstract

Canine parvovirus disease is an acute infectious disease caused by canine parvovirus (CPV). Current commercial vaccines are mainly attenuated and inactivated; as such, problems concerning safety may occur. To resolve this problem, researchers developed virus-like particles (VLPs) as biological nanoparticles resembling natural virions and showing high bio-safety. This property allows the use of VLPs for vaccine development and mechanism studies of viral infections. Tissue-specific drug delivery also employs VLPs as biological nanomaterials. Therefore, VLPs derived from CPV have a great potential in medicine and diagnostics. In this study, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) fusion motif was utilized to express a whole, naturalVP2 protein of CPV in Escherichia coli. After the cleavage of the fusion motif, the CPV VP2 protein has self-assembled into VLPs. The VLPs had a size and shape that resembled the authentic virus capsid. However, the self-assembly efficiency of VLPs can be affected by different pH levels and ionic strengths. The mice vaccinated subcutaneously with CPV VLPs and CPV-specific immune responses were compared with those immunized with the natural virus. This result showed that VLPs can effectively induce anti-CPV specific antibody and lymphocyte proliferation as a whole virus. This result further suggested that the antigen epitope of CPV was correctly present on VLPs, thereby showing the potential application of a VLP-based CPV vaccine.

Transcriptome profiling indicating canine parvovirus type 2a as a potential immune activator

“…CPV-2 strain (CPV-LZ1) was isolated in China as described previously [18,19]. The virus strain belongs to genotype CPV-2a [19].…”

Novel chimeric virus-like particles vaccine displaying MERS-CoV receptor-binding domain induce specific humoral and cellular immune response in mice

“…Moreover, canine parvovirus (CPV) does not cause disease in human, therefore parvovirus-like particles is a safe expression platform. Parvovirus VLP has been successfully used for the expression of foreign antigens and induction of robust B-, Tcell responses (Miyamura et al, 1994;Casal et al, 1999;Lo-Man et al, 1998;Xu et al, 2014;Rueda et al, 1999).…”

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles as delivery vehicle of foot‐and‐mouth disease virus‐like particles induce persistent immune responses in guinea pigs

“…In this case, the immune dose could be reduced significantly. T‐cell activation and cytokines also play key roles in immune protection . IFN‐γ is a key cytokine related to the activation of macrophages and T‐lymphocytes; it can efficiently inhibit early FMDV infection and replication .…”

“…The FMDV VLPs were produced and detected as described previously . The SUMO (Smt3) gene and FMDV capsid proteins VP0, VP1, and VP3 genes were subcloned into pET‐28a, and then the recombinant plasmids were transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3).…”