Colloidal Virus Particles with Hierarchical Nanomorphology and Facile Biosurface Modification

Aiming to the enormous requirement for the epidemic defense researches,we designed and constructed a spherical colloidal virus particle(CVP)to mimic nature virus in morphology,physical,chemical and biological characteristics,via coating spiky protein on col-loidal nanoparticles(CNPs)core with bulge hierarchical nanomorphology.The novel virus-like surface nanoparticles can easily be synthesized.The physical,chemical nature and the formation mechanism of the prepared CVPs were characterized and discussed.The synthesized CVPs are similar in size and envelope thickness to common natural viruses.It was demonstrated that the diameter of CVPs is about 238±12 nm,including an 8 nm thickness protein crown with bulges of 33 nm in average width.The CVPs with an isoelectric point of 4.5,meets the native virus property of negative charge under neutral condition.The protein crown enhances the roughness remarkably from 10 nm(CNPs)to 22 nm(CVPs)determined by atomic force microscopy.Thanks to the biomimetic rough morphology,the CVPs show greatly superior cellular uptake performance compared to CNPs,ovalbumin(OVA)and smoothed col-loidal particles(SCPs).The formation mechanism of protein crown with specific thickness can be attributed to the electrostatic in-teraction,protein's flexible structure and specific wettability.These results indicate that the as-prepared artificial virions mimic na-ture viruses in multi-dimension,in terms of size,surface rough morphology,surface negative charge and glycoprotein envelope composition.The synthetic colloidal virus particles pave a facile way toward engineering virus particles substitute for virus-related diseases prevention,diagnostics and cellular delivery vectors.

Construction and Production of FluorescentPapillom avirus-like Particles

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria has attracted widespread interest since it was demonstrated to be fluorescent in vivo when expressed in other organisms. In order to investigate papillomavirus life cycle which hampered by the unavailability of conventional cell culture system, we constructed a chimeric bovine papillomavirus (BPV) type 1 virus like particles (VLPs) containing GFP. It was found that fluorescent VLPs could be assembled from L2 protein in which GFP is inserted into the N terminal region of L2 (aa 88). The fluorescent VLPs could also be assembled from a GFP/L2 fusion protein in which part of the L2 sequence had been deleted. In vitro , fluorescent VLPs could bind to CV 1 cells, and this VLP/cell interaction could be analyzed by FACS assay. These results demonstrated that GFP could incorporate into BPV1 VLPs without disruption of the VLP structure. Fluorescent VLPs might be a useful tool for study of papillomavirus virus/cell interaction.

Polysaccharide-based chromatographic adsorbents for virus purification and viral clearance

Viruses still pose a significant threat to human and animal health worldwide.In the fight against viral infections,high-purity viral stocks are needed for manufacture of safer vaccines.It is also a priority to ensure the viral safety of biopharmaceuticals such as blood products.Chromatography techniques are widely implemented at both academic and industrial levels in the purification of viral particles,whole viruses and virus-like particles to remove viral contaminants from biopharmaceutical products.This paper focuses on polysaccharide adsorbents,particulate resins and membrane adsorbers,used in virus purification/removal chromatography processes.Different chromatographic modes are surveyed,with particular attention to ion exchange and affinity/pseudo-affinity adsorbents among which commercially available agarose-based resins(Sepharose®)and cellulose-based membrane adsorbers(Sartobind®)occupy a dominant position.Mainly built on the development of new ligands coupled to conventional agarose/cellulose matrices,the development perspectives of polysaccharide-based chromatography media in this antiviral area are stressed in the conclusive part.

Preparation and immunoprotective effects of a virus-like particle candidate vaccine of the dominant epidemic D3 genotype coxsackievirus A6 in China

Coxsackievirus A6 of the D3a genotype(CVA6 D3a)is a primary pathogen causingmainland of China's hand,foot,and mouth disease(HFMD).Viral‐like particle(VLP)vaccines represent a potential candidate vaccine to prevent HFMD.This study collected Anti‐CVA6 D3a VLPs serum from BALB/c female mice immunized using CVA6 D3a VLPs.The neutralizing antibody levels were compared against the representative 14‐JX2018(D3a)and N4‐YN2015(D3b)strains between the antisera of different immune pathways.The immunoprotective effect of anti‐CVA6 D3a VLPs against these strains was monitored using pathological sections and immuno-histochemical results of lung and skeletal muscle tissues in seven‐day‐old Institute of Cancer Research(ICR)mice.Immunological protection against different branches of viruses was evaluated in 7‐day‐old(serum passive immune protection)and 14‐day‐old(VLPs active immune protection)neonatal ICR mice models.Serum‐neutralizing antibody levels were positively correlated with the number of immunizations and higher against 14‐JX2018 than against N4‐YN2015.Furthermore,these levels were significantly higher with abdominal injection than intramuscular injection.The immunized serum of 7‐day‐old ICR mice inoculated three times was 100%protected against CVA6 D3a 14‐JX2018(lethal titer:106.25 TCID 50)and CVA6 D3b N4‐YN2015(lethal titer:105.25TCID 50)fatal attacks,respectively.For ICR mice that have completed two active immunizations for 14 days,both CVA6 D3a 14‐JX2015(challenge titer:108.25 TCID 50)and CVA6 D3b N4‐YN2015(challenge titer:107.25 TCID 50)were used for the challenge,and the mice were able to survive.Overall,the CVA6 D3a VLPs prepared in this study are a potential vaccine candidate for CVA6,as it has the optimal protective effect against both CVA6 D3a and D3b evolutionary branches viruses.

Expression and self-assembly of HCV structural proteins into virus-like particles and their immunogenicity

Background The synthesis of virus-like particles (VLPs) provides an important tool to determine the structural requirements for viral particle assembly and virus-host interactions. Our purpose was to express simultaneously all three structural proteins of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in insect cells to investigate the proteins assembly into VLPs and the immunogenicity of these particles KH*2/5DMethods HCV gene sequences encoding the structural proteins C, E1, and E2 were amplified with PCR, and recombinant baculoviruses were constructed using recombinant DNA techniques The expression of HCV structural proteins in insect cells was analyzed by immunofluoresceoce and SDS-PAGE The interaction of expressed structural proteins was investigated by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting The VLPs in the insect cells were visualized by electron microscopy (EM) VLPs were then purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation and used to immunize BALB/c mice Antibodies against HCV were tested for in mouse serum samples by an ELISA assay Results The recombinant baculoviruses reBV/C and reBV/E1-E2 were constructed successfully Insect cells co-infected with reBV/C and reBV/E1-E2 expressed HCV C, E1, and E2 proteins with the expected molecular weights of 20kD, 35kD, and 66kD, respectively The results of immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting assays revealed the coimmunoprecipitation of C, E1, and E2 proteins, indicating association of the three structural proteins Electron microscopy of insect cells co-infected with reBV/C and reBV/E1-E2 demonstrated spherical particles (40 to 60 nm in diameter) similar to the HCV virions from serum samples or hepatic tissue samples of HCV infected humans The VLPs were partially purified Antibodies to HCV were detectable in the serum of mice immunized with VLPs Conclusion HCV structural proteins simultaneously expressed in insect cells can interact with each other and assemble into HCV-like particles, which are shown to be immunogenic in mice

Encapsidating artificial human papillomavirus-16 mE7 protein in human papillomavirus-6b L1/L2 virus like particles

Background Human papillomaviruses （HPVs） can infect squamous or mucosal epithelia and cause cervical cancer or genital warts. Coinfection with multiple HPV types is a common finding of many epidemiological studies. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a vaccine, which can eradicate established HPV infections and prevent other HPV infections. In this study, we generated chimeric virus like particles （cVLPs） composed of HPV-6b L1, HPV-6b L2 and one artificial HPV-16 mE7 proteins. Methods The artificial HPV-16 mE7 gene was designed by codon modification, point mutation and gene shuffling then chemically synthesized and subcloned behind HPV-6b L2. HPV-6b L1 and L2-mE7 were expressed in insect cells by using Bac-to-Bac system. The generated cVLPs were purified by CsCI gradient ultracentrifuge and analyzed by immunoblot, electron microscope and haemagglutination assay. Results The HPV-6b L1 and L2-mE7 proteins were well expressed in insect cells and could selfassemble into cVLPs, whose diameter was about 55 nm and similar to that of HPV-6b L1/L2 VLPs. Intact cVLPs could be recognized by H6.M48 neutralizing monoclonal antibody and HPV-6b L2 polyclonal antibody, while the denatured cVLPs, but not the intact cVLPs, were reactive to HPV-16 E7 polyclonal antibody. HPV-6b LI/L2-mE7 cVLPs haemaggiutinated mouse erythrocytes as efficiently as HPV-6b L1/L2 VLPs did. Conclusions The insertion of the 158 amino acid HPV-16 mE7 protein behind L2 did not disrupt the correct assembling of cVLPs. The morphological characteristics and haemagglutinating activity of cVLPs were similar to those of HPV-6b LI/L2 VLPs. The cVLPs retained conformational B cell epitopes of HPV-6 VLPs and HPV-16 mE7 protein had an internal location in the cVLPs. Therefore, large modified E7 protein with higher immunogenicity could be incorporated into cVLPs by fusing to the C-terminus of L2, which would help to improve the therapeutic effects of LI/L2-E7 cVLPs.