CD16-RIgE is a chimeric human membrane glycoprotein consisting of the CD16 ectodomain fused to the transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail of the gamma chain of the high affinity receptor of IgE (RIgE). Coexpression of CD16-RIgE and HIV-1 Pr55Gag polyprotein precursor (Pr55GagHIV) in insect cells resulted in the incorporation of CD16-RIgE glycoprotein into the envelope of extracellular virus-like particles (VLPs), a phenomenon known as pseudotyping. Taking advantage of this property, we replaced the CD16 ectodomain of CD16-RIgE by the envelope glycoprotein domain III (DIII) of dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV1) or West Nile virus Kunjin (WNVKun). The two resulting chimeric proteins, DIII-DENV1-RIgE and DIII-WNVKun-RIgE, were addressed to the plasma membrane, exposed at the surface of human and insect cells, and incorporated into extracellular VLPs when coexpressed with Pr55GagHIV in insect cells. The DIII domains were accessible at the surface of retroviral VLPs, as shown by their reactivity with specific antibodies, and notably antibodies from patient sera. The DIII-RIgE proteins were found to be incorporated in VLPs made of SIV, MLV, or chimeric MLV-HIV Gag precursors, indicating that DIII-RIgE could pseudotype a wide variety of retroviral VLPs. VLP-displayed DIII were capable of inducing specific neutralizing antibodies against DENV and WNV in mice. Although the neutralization response was modest, our data confirmed the capability of DIII to induce a flavivirus neutralization response, and suggested that our VLP-displayed CD16-RIgE-based platform could be developed as a vaccine vector against different flaviviruses and other viral pathogens.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, resulting in a deficiency in chloride channel activity. In this study, extracellular vesicles (EVs), microvesicles, and exosomes were used as vehicles to deliver exogenous CFTR glycoprotein and its encoding mRNA (mRNA(GFP-CFTR)) to CF cells to correct the CFTR chloride channel function. We isolated microvesicles and exosomes from the culture medium of CFTR-positive Calu-3 cells, or from A549 cells transduced with an adenoviral vector overexpressing a GFP-tagged CFTR (GFP-CFTR). Both microvesicles and exosomes had the capacity to package and deliver the GFP-CFTR glycoprotein and mRNA(GFP-CFTR) to target cells in a dose-dependent manner. Homologous versus heterologous EV-to-cell transfer was studied, and it appeared that the cellular uptake of EVs was significantly more efficient in homologous transfer. The incubation of CF15 cells, a nasal epithelial cell line homozygous for the ΔF508 CFTR mutation, with microvesicles or exosomes loaded with GFP-CFTR resulted in the correction of the CFTR function in CF cells in a dose-dependent manner. A time-course analysis of EV-transduced CF cells suggested that CFTR transferred as mature glycoprotein was responsible for the CFTR-associated channel activity detected at early times posttransduction, whereas GFP-CFTR translated from exogenous mRNA(GFP-CFTR) was responsible for the CFTR function at later times. Collectively, this study showed the potential application of microvesicles and exosomes as vectors for CFTR transfer and functional correction of the genetic defect in human CF cells.
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