含APPβ裂解位点肽及Aβ1-15的嵌合型HBcAg颗粒抗原的制备及其免疫原性分析

目的:构建含APPβ位点裂解肽ABCSP、β-淀粉样肽氨基段15肽(Aβ1-15)及删除了c/e1表位的截短型HBcAg基因的原核表达质粒pET/c-ABCSP-Aβ15-c,并在大肠杆菌中表达,观察融合蛋白C-ABCSP-Aβ15-C形成的病毒样颗粒,检测其免疫原性,为多表位AD基因工程疫苗的研究奠定基础。方法:PCR扩增含APPβ位点裂解肽ABCSP、β-淀粉样肽氨基段15肽(Aβ1-15)的基因,连接于HBcAg的1～71的3’端,再将HBcAg的88～144位氨基酸的基因片断连接于Aβ1-15的基因的3’端,构建重组质粒pUC/c-ABCSP-Aβ15-c,将重组基因亚克隆于原核表达载体pET-28a(+)中,构建表达质粒pET/c-ABCSP-Aβ15-c,IPTG诱导表达。用SDS-PAGE、考马斯亮蓝染色,观察重组基因的表达。透射电镜观察融合蛋白形成的病毒样颗粒。融合蛋白经腹腔注射免疫昆明小鼠,间接ELISA法检测小鼠血清中抗-ABCSP、抗-Aβ抗体的滴度。结果:经酶切鉴定、DNA序列测定证实,重组基因位于表达质粒之中,其大小、序列与理论设计相符。诱导表达后,SDS-PAGE显示,在细菌裂解液的上清和沉淀中均可见到表达蛋白条带,且以沉淀中为多,约占沉淀总蛋白的40%。纯化后的融合蛋白形成电镜下可观察到的病毒样颗粒。昆明小鼠经融合蛋白免疫5次后,其血清中抗-ABCSP抗体的滴度可达1∶5 000,抗-Aβ抗体的滴度可达1∶10 000,检测不到抗-HBc抗体。结论:c-ABCSP-Aβ15-c融合基因在大肠杆菌中可高效表达,表达的融合蛋白具有较强的免疫原性。     

昆虫细胞偏爱密码子优化的HPV16L1基因在昆虫和哺乳动物细胞中的表达

目的获得有效表达人乳头瘤病毒16型（HPV16）L1基因的重组杆状病毒和腺病毒，为研究HPV的免疫保护机制提供材料。方法按照昆虫细胞密码子偏爱优化并合成HPV16LI基因，利用Bac—to-Bac昆虫表达系统获得表达HPV16L1基因的重组杆状病毒，利用AdEasy腺病毒载体系统获得表达HPV16L1基因的重组腺病毒载体。通过间接免疫荧光和Westernblot对HPV16L1基因表达进行鉴定，利用负染电子显微镜观察病毒样颗粒（VLP）的形成。结果获得了稳定表达HPV16L1蛋白的重组杆状病毒和重组腺病毒载体，在Sf9细胞和293细胞中可有效表达能被抗HPV16L1单克隆抗体识别的L1蛋白，分子质量单位为56ku，在Sf9细胞中可观察到VLP的形成。结论按照昆虫细胞密码子偏爱进行优化的HPV16L1基因，在昆虫细胞和哺乳动物细胞内均可有效表达。     

Flagellin-expressing virus-like particles exhibit adjuvant effects on promoting IgG isotype-switched long-lasting antibody induction and protection of influenza vaccines in CD4-deficient mice

Incorporation of membrane-anchored flagellin molecules into the surfaces of influenza virus-like particles (VLP) was previously reported to promote T helper (Th) 1-biased IgG antibody production and protective efficacy of co-presented vaccine antigens. Herein, we investigated the potential adjuvant effects and mechanisms of flagellin-expressing VLP (FliC-VLP) as an independent component on influenza vaccination in wild-type and mutant mouse models. FliC-VLP adjuvanted influenza vaccination was highly effective in promoting the induction of Th1-biased IgG isotype switched antibodies, enhanced protection, and long-lasting IgG antibody responses in both wild-type and CD4-knockout mice. In contrast, the adjuvant effects of soluble flagellin were Th2-biased and required CD4 T helper cells. The adjuvant effects of FliC-VLP were less dependent on CD4 T cells and flagellin-mediated innate immune signaling pathways. The results suggest that FliC-VLP might play an effective adjuvant role in an immune competent condition as well as in a defect of CD4 T cells.     

心塞通口服液对大鼠心肌梗死后心律失常影响的实验研究

预防心肌梗死后心律失常发生是现代医学面临的最大挑战之一。心塞通口服液是郭文勤教授结合四十余年临床经验,结合现代研究成果,成功地研制出已应用于临床多年的有效方剂。本研究从心脏电生理作为切入点,证实心塞通口服液能显著降低心梗后心律失常的发生,其作用机制与改善AMI后心室晚电位、降低QTd有关,本研究可作为心肌梗死后心律失常有效药筛选提供参考。     

Biological and immunological characteristics of hepatitis E virus-like particles based on the crystal structure

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a causative agent of acute hepatitis. The crystal structure of HEV-like particles (HEV-LP) consisting of capsid protein was determined at 3.5-Å resolution. The capsid protein exhibited a quite different folding at the protruding and middle domains from the members of the families of Caliciviridae and Tombusviridae, while the shell domain shared the common folding. Tyr-288 at the 5-fold axis plays key roles in the assembly of HEV-LP, and aromatic amino acid residues are well conserved among the structurally related viruses. Mutational analyses indicated that the protruding domain is involved in the binding to the cells susceptive to HEV infection and has some neutralization epitopes. These structural and biological findings are important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of assembly and entry of HEV and also provide clues in the development of preventive and prophylactic measures for hepatitis E.     

Immunogenicity of adjuvanted plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 Beta spike VLP vaccine in New Zealand white rabbits

The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic heightened the pace of vaccine development with various vaccines being approved for human use in a span of 24 months. The SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike (S) surface glycoprotein, which mediates viral entry by binding to ACE2, is a key target for vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. Plant biopharming is recognized for its scalability, speed, versatility, and low production costs and is an increasingly promising molecular pharming vaccine platform for human health. We developed Nicotiana benthamiana-produced SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidates displaying the S-protein of the Beta (B.1.351) variant of concern (VOC), which triggered cross-reactive neutralising antibodies against Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) VOCs. In this study, immunogenicity of the VLPs (5 µg per dose) adjuvanted with three independent adjuvants i.e. oil-in-water based adjuvants SEPIVAC SWE^TM (Seppic, France) and “AS IS” (Afrigen, South Africa) as well as a slow-release synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) adjuvant designated NADA (Disease Control Africa, South Africa) were evaluated in New Zealand white rabbits and resulted in robust neutralising antibody responses after booster vaccination, ranging from 1:5341 to as high as 1:18204. Serum neutralising antibodies elicited by the Beta variant VLP vaccine also showed cross-neutralisation against the Delta and Omicron variants with neutralising titres ranging from 1:1702 and 1:971, respectively. Collectively, these data provide support for the development of a plant-produced VLP based candidate vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 based on circulating variants of concern.     

Distinct regulation and impact of type 1 T-cell immunity against HPV16 L1, E2 and E6 antigens during HPV16-induced cervical infection and neoplasia

Cervical cancer is the possible outcome of a genital infection with high-risk human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and is preceded by a phase of persistent HPV infection during which the host immune system fails to eliminate the virus. Our previous work showed that failure is reflected by the absence of type 1 T-cell immunity against HPV16 early antigens E2 and E6 in patients with HPV16+ cervical lesions. We now show that a majority of both patients with cervical lesions and healthy subjects display HPV16 L1 peptide-specific type 1 T-cell responses with similar magnitude. The T-cell response in patients was directed at a broad range of peptides within L1, suggesting that during persistent or repeated exposure to HPV16 L1, the immune system maximizes its efforts to counter the viral challenge. Unlike the type 1 T-cell responses against HPV16 early antigens E2 and E6, type 1 T-cell immunity against L1 does not correlate with health or disease. This argues that T-cell responses against early and late HPV16 antigens essentially differ in the manner in which they are induced and regulated, as well as in their impact on the subsequent stages of HPV16-induced cervical disease.     

Combined prophylactic and therapeutic cancer vaccine: enhancing CTL responses to HPV16 E2 using a chimeric VLP in HLA-A2 mice

We identified the strategies to induce a CTL response to human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 E2 in HLA-A2 transgenic mice (AAD). A chimeric HPV16 virus-like particle (VLP) that includes full length HPV16 E7 and E2 (VLP-E7E2) was generated. The combination of E2 and E7 has the advantage that E2 is expressed in early dysplasia and neoplasia lesions, where E7 is expressed in more advance lesions. Since T cell response to E2 is less defined, we first evaluated the strategies to enhancing CD8(+) T cell responses to HPV E7, using different combinations of immune-modulators with VLP-E7E2. Data showed that the CTL response to E7 could be significantly enhanced by coinjection of GM-CSF and anti-CD40 antibodies with chimeric VLP-E7E2 without adjuvant. However, using the same combination, a low level of CD8(+) T cell response to E2 was detected. To enhance the CD8+ T cell response to E2, we analyzed T cell epitopes from E2 sequence. A heterogenous prime-boost with chimeric VLP-E7E2 and E2 peptides was performed. The data showed that the priming with chimeric VLP-E7E2, followed by boosting with E2 peptides, gave a better CTL response than 2 immunizations with E2 peptides. The enhanced immunity is due to the increase of CD11c(+) and CD11c(+) CD40(+) double positive dendritic cells in mice that received immune-modulators, GM-CSF and anti-CD40. Furthermore, the level of anti-L1 antibodies remains similar in mice immunized with chimeric VLP with/without immune-modulators. Thus, the data suggested that the chimeric VLP-E7E2 has a therapeutic potential for the treatment of HPV-associated CINs and cancer without diminishing VLPs potential as a prophylactic vaccine by inducing anti-L1 antibodies against free virus.     

Co-vaccination with adeno-associated virus vectors encoding human papillomavirus 16 L1 proteins and adenovirus encoding murine GM-CSF can elicit strong and prolonged neutralizing antibody

Non-infectious human papillomavirus-like particles (VLPs), encoded by the major capsid gene L1, have been shown to be effective as vaccines to prevent cervical cancer. We have developed the genetic immunization of the L1 gene to induce a neutralizing antibody. We constructed and generated a recombinant adeno-associated virus encoding human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 L1 protein that could form virus-like particles in transduced cells. Previous reports have demonstrated that the formation of VLP is necessary to induce high titers of neutralizing antibodies to protect an animal from viral challenge. Therefore, we carried out a single intramuscular (i.m.) injection with recombinant adeno-associated virus encoding HPV-16 L1 protein (rAAV-16L1) in BALB/c mice, which ultimately produced stronger and more prolonged neutralizing L1 antibodies, when compared to the DNA vaccine. Immunohistochemistry showed that the accumulation of antigen presenting cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells, in rAAV-16L1 and L1 DNA-injected muscle fibers may be due to the L1 protein expression, but not to AAV infection. When compared to the L1 VLP vaccine, however, the titers of neutralizing L1 antibodies induced by VLP were higher than those induced by rAAV-16L1. Co-vaccinating with rAAV-16L1 and adenovirus encoding murine GM-CSF (rAAV-16L1/rAd-mGM-CSF) induced comparable higher levels of neutralizing L1 antibodies with those of VLP. This implies that a single i.m. co-injection with rAAV-16L1/rAd-mGM-CSF can achieve the same vaccine effect as a VLP vaccine requiring 3 booster injections.