New Viral Vector for Superproduction of Epitopes of Vaccine Proteins in Plants

Abstract

The novel viral vectors PVX-CP AltMV and PVXdt-CP AltMV are superexpressors of the capsid protein (CP). These viral vectors were constructed on the basis of the potato virus X (PVX) genome andAlternantheramosaic virus (AltMV) CP gene. The expression, based on the hybrid viral vectors, is genetically safe, since the systemic transport and formation of infective viral particles are blocked. CP AltMV can self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs) in the absence of genomic RNA. The vectors can be used for the presentation of foreign peptides (including epitopes of human pathogens) on the surface of the VLP. The N-terminal extracellular domain (M2e) of the influenza virus A M2 protein and its truncated variant (ΔM2e) were used as model heterologous peptides for the construction of the chimeric CP AltMV. Chimeric CP AltMV retains its ability to self-assemble into VLP. The epitopes of the M2 influenza virus protein were not eliminated during the process of accumulation, polymerization and purification of chimeric VLP AltMV, providing evidence of the stability of chimeric VLP with C-terminal heterologous epitopes. It appears that VLP produced by the vectors PVX-CP AltMV and PVXdt-CP AltMV can be used in the field of biotechnology for the presentation of the epitopes of vaccine proteins on their surfaces. The chimeric VLP AltMV with the presented foreign epitopes can be used as candidate vaccines.

M2e-Based Universal Influenza A Vaccines

“…Many types of VLPs have been used to display M2e and to evaluate their efficacy as vaccines. Ease and economy of expression and purification may vary significantly, and successful approaches include the use of Malva mosaic virus (MaMV) nanoparticles [ 70 ], tobacco mosaic virus coat protein [ 71 ], potato virus X [ 72 ], Alternanthera mosaic virus coat protein [ 72 ], papaya mosaic virus [ 73 ], human papillomavirus [ 74 ], and woodchuck hepatitis virus-like particle [ 75 ]. Bacteriophage-based M2e-displaying vaccines have also been developed, which have the notable advantage that these are very easy to grow and scale up.…”

Plant-based vaccines against viruses

“…Production of other influenza virus antigens has been limited, with the only other protein investigated to any extent being the M2e peptide, or ectopic domain of the M2 ion channel protein: this has considerable potential as a universal vaccine candidate, as it is highly conserved between all influenza A viruses. The insertion of a M2e 2-24 peptide in two different locations in the Human papillomavirus type 16 VLP-forming L1 protein has been reported [62], as has the use of surface display on a filamentous VLP-forming potexvirus CP [63], albeit without preclinical evaluation. However, a more recent investigation that used surface display on TMV virions was more noteworthy in that synthetic M2e peptides derived from a H1N1 virus inserted in between TMV U1 CP residues 155 and 156 were well displayed on virions.…”

Alternanthera mosaic potexvirus: Several Features, Properties, and Application

“…Tyulkina with colleagues [ 42 ] designed the hybrid viral vectors based on PVX genome and AltMV CP gene fused with sequences of influenza virus A M2e epitope. This vector was used for expression of chimeric AltMV CP in plant and VLP assembly.…”