The emergence of various variants of concern (VOCs) necessitates the development of more efficient vaccines for COVID-19. In this study, we established a rapid and robust production platform for a novel subunit vaccine candidate based on eukaryotic HEK-293 T cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate was evaluated in pigs. The results demonstrated that the pseudovirus neutralizing antibody (pNAb) titers reached 7751 and 306 for the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants, respectively, after the first boost. Subsequently, pNAb titers further increased to 10,201 and 1350, respectively, after the second boost. Additionally, ELISPOT analysis revealed a robust T-cell response characterized by IFN-gamma (171 SFCs/106 cells) and IL-2 (101 SFCs/106 cells) production. Our study demonstrates that a vaccine candidate based on the Delta variant spike protein may provide strong and broad protection against the prototype SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs. Moreover, the strategy for the efficient and stable expression of recombinant proteins utilizing HEK-293 T cells can be employed as a universal platform for future vaccine development.

Rabies continues to be a huge threat to public health. The rabies virus envelope glycoprotein (RABV G) is a major rabies virus antigen and contains neutralizing epitopes, which are primary candidates for subunit vaccines and diagnostic antigens. However, the production and purification of rRABV G while retaining its antigenic and immunogenic remains to be a challenge. Here, we aimed to establish a platform for rRABV G production and purification, and determine the immunogenicity and antigenicity of rRABV G. The cDNA fragment encoding the soluble form of RABV G was synthesized and cloned into a lentiviral expressing vector. Recombinant lentiviral vector LV-CMV-RABV G-eGFP was packaged, titered, and then transduced into HEK 293T cells. The cell culture supernatant was purified using nickel affinity chromatography and subsequently confirmed through Western Blot analysis and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA utilized human sera obtained from individuals who had been vaccinated with the human commercial Purified Vero Cells Rabies Vaccine (PVRV). Notably, we observed a neutralizing antibody response in immunized pigs rather than in mice. This discrepancy could potentially be attributed to factors such as the instability of the rRABV G protein, variations in host responses, and variances in the adjuvant used. Taking all these findings into account, the rRABV G protein generated in this study exhibits promise as a potential vaccine candidate for the prevention of rabies.

IntroductionPseudorabies (PR) is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the pseudorabies virus (PRV), which can cause disease in a wide range of domestic and wild animals. Studies have shown that new mutant strains have emerged in pig farms in many regions and that commercial inactivated and live attenuated vaccines are becoming less effective at protecting pigs.MethodsPorcine pseudorabies glycoprotein D (gD) gene (GenBank: QEY95774.1) with hexa-His tag to the C terminus for further purification processes was cloned into the lentiviral expression plasmid pLV-CMV-eGFP by restriction enzyme, the resulting plasmid was designated as pLV-CMV-gD. HEK-293T cells with robust and stable expression of recombinant gD protein was established by infection with recombinant lentivirus vector pLV-CMV-gD. We expressed porcine pseudorabies virus gD protein using HEK-293T cells.ResultsWe describe in this study that individual gD proteins produced by a mammalian cell expression system are well immunogenic and stimulate high levels of PRV-specific and neutralizing antibodies in mice and piglets. All mice and piglets survived lethal doses of PRV, significantly reducing the amount of PRV virus in piglets’ lymph nodes, lungs, spleen, and other tissues. It also significantly reduced the time cycle and amount of viral excretion from piglets to the environment through the nasal and anal cavities.DiscussionThe results suggest that PRV gD protein is expected to be a potential candidate for the preparation of genetically engineered PR vaccines for the prevention of PRV infection and the control of PR epidemics.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a major animal pathogen threatening the global pork industry. To date, numerous anti-CSFV monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their recognizing epitopes have been reported. However, few mAbs were systematically characterized for the capacity to differentiate field CSFV isolates from CSF vaccine strains, and the molecular basis associated with antigenic differences between vaccines and field isolates is still largely unknown. In the present study, recombinant CSFV structural glycoproteins E2 of both virulent and vaccine strains and Erns of vaccine strain were expressed using eukaryotic cells and murine mAbs generated against E2 and Erns. After serial screening and cloning of the hybridomas, the viral spectra of mAbs were respectively determined by indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA) using 108 CSFVs, followed by Western blot analysis using expressed glycoproteins of all CSFV sub-genotypes including vaccine strains. The antigenic structures recognized by these mAbs were characterized by epitope mapping using truncated, chimeric, and site-directed mutated E2 and Erns proteins. We have identified two vaccine-specific, one field isolate-specific, and two universal CSFV-specific mAbs and five novel conformational epitopes with critical amino acid (aa) motifs that are associated with these five mAbs: 213EPD215, 271RXGP274, and 37LXLNDG42 on E2 and 38CKGVP42, W81, and D100/V107 on Erns. Particularly, E213 of E2 is field isolate-specific, while N40 of E2 and D100/V107 of Erns are vaccine strain-specific. Results from our study further indicate that N40D of E2 mutation in field strains was likely produced under positive selection associated with long-term mass vaccination, leading to CSFV evasion of host immune response. Taking together, this study provides new insights into the antigenic structure of CSFV E2 and Erns and the differentiating mAbs will contribute to the development of a diagnostic strategy to differentiate C-strain vaccination from natural infection (DIVA) of CSFV in terms of elimination of CSF in China.

Gene therapy's entrance into clinical settings has made it an ever more attractive field of study for various diseases. However, relatively little progress has been made in targeting kidney diseases due to poor gene delivery efficiency in renal cells. The development of novel gene therapy vectors for medical intervention to treat kidney diseases is needed. In this study, we designed and produced a pseudotyped lentiviral vector with envelope glycoproteins of Zika virus (ZIKV), and evaluated its potential use in viral vector entry, neutralization assay, and gene delivery especially in the renal context. The lentiviral vector, simplified as ZIKV-E, is pseudotyped with Env/G-TC representing the transmembrane (TM) and cytoplasmic (CY) domains of Env replaced with the TM and CY domains of the glycoprotein (G) of the vesicular stomatitis virus. In vivo results show that ZIKV-E induced efficient transduction in tubular epithelial cells in mouse kidneys, demonstrating >100-fold higher expression of exogenous green fluorescent protein gene compared with that achieved by vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G) protein pseudotyped lentiviral vector. The results also showed that the vector ZIKV-E transduced cells in a pH-independent manner and the transduction was inhibited by anti-ZIKV Env domain III antibodies. Results also show that ZIKV-E can be used as a surrogate for studies of ZIKV entry mechanisms and neutralization antibody assay. In all, this study successfully demonstrated a novel pseudotyped lentiviral vector ZIKV-E for inducing high transduction efficiency in renal tubular epithelial cells that could serve as a foundation for gene therapy for the treatment of inherited renal diseases in humans.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health problem and current treatments are insufficient due to immune tolerance to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). RNA interference (RNAi) is a more promising approach for antiviral therapy. Here, 17 single artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) targeting the highly conserved regions of HBV genome were screened to inhibit HBV replication. In addition, we compared three tandem amiRNAs, each containing 3 different amiRNAs, out of which amiRNA135 was selected to be studied in detail. In vitro data showed that amiRNA135 significantly inhibited the replication of different HBV genotypes (including resistant and mutant). In vivo study was carried out by adeno-associated virus 8-mediated gene delivery, we found that the anti-HBV effects of AAV8-amiRNA135 were time and dose-dependent. Serum HBsAg and HBeAg in high dose groups were significantly reduced at 7 days after a single intravenous vector injection, and maintained at low levels throughout a 15-month experiment. Immunohistochemical staining and HBV core particle DNA analysis confirmed that HBV replication in the liver was strongly inhibited by AAV8-amiRNA135. Taken together, our data suggest that AAV8-mediated trimeric amiRNA expression is a promising therapeutic approach for chronic HBV infection.

The 38 kDa protein is a major antigen of mycobacterium tuberculosis and has been widely used in TB serodiagnosis, due to its highly sensitivity and specificity. Here we attempt to establish a production platform of recombinant 38 kDa protein in mammalian cells and to evaluate the potential value of 38 kDa protein in TB serodiagnosis. The 38 kDa gene is synthesized and cloned into a lentiviral expressing vector. Recombinant lentiviral vector LV-CMV-38 kDa-eGFP was packaged, titered, and then transduced into HEK 293 T cells. Recombinant cell lines were selected by limiting dilution. Supernatants were collected and purified by HisTrapTM HP column. Western blot showed a molecular weight of approximate 38 kDa in cell supernatants as expected. ELISA assay confirmed the immunological specificity of the obtained protein in the presence of MTB-infected human serum samples. In all, we have obtained a stable cell line with long-term and robust expression of secretory MTB 38 kDa protein, which may provide a promising candidate antigen for the development of TB serological diagnosis.

将猪流行性腹泻病毒(PEDV)流行毒株S1基因经密码子优化后克隆到慢病毒表达载体,在293T细胞包装PEDV S1重组慢病毒;重组慢病毒感染293T细胞,经有限稀释法筛选获得高效稳定表达S1蛋白的重组细胞系HEK-293T-S1;生产、纯化S1蛋白,添加佐剂制备成重组S1亚单位疫苗,经肌肉注射免疫实验用巴马小型猪,评价重组S1蛋白的免疫原性.结果 表明,疫苗经肌肉注射免疫能诱导唾液、粪便及血清产生S1特异性IgA;证实巴马小型猪3日龄仔猪对PEDV流行毒株易感,在临床症状及组织病理学变化均符合高毒力PEDV特征,可以作为感染动物模型;在实验用巴马小型猪证实PEDV重组S1蛋白结合佐剂经肌肉注射可诱导粘膜免疫,这为PEDV基因工程疫苗研发奠定了基础.

猪瘟E2基因工程亚单位疫苗能诱导机体产生抗CSFV中和抗体,被认为是最具应用前景的新型猪瘟疫苗.本研究利用稳定表达重组CSFV E2蛋白的细胞系HEK-293T-E2,制备E2亚单位疫苗并在动物体内检测其免疫原性.结果 显示,制备的E2亚单位疫苗能成功诱导试验兔和仔猪产生抗CSFV抗体,相比对照组,试验动物能够抵抗猪瘟标准强毒石门株的攻击,并且没有产生体温升高及其他不良反应,证实了该疫苗的有效性和安全性.本研究为新型猪瘟亚单位疫苗的研发提供了重要线索.

目的:构建人血管紧张素Ⅱ 2型受体(hAT2R)过表达稳定细胞系,探讨AT2R激动剂Compound 21等对前列腺癌细胞的作用及机制.方法:构建含hAT2R基因的慢病毒表达载体pLV-CMV-hAT2R-IRES-eGFP并包装成慢病毒.将重组慢病毒载体pLV-CMV-IRES-eGFP-hAT2R感染前列腺癌细胞,并利用流式细胞术筛选出单克隆细胞株,RT-PCR及Western blot方法检测重组细胞系中hAT2R表达水平,使用AT2R激动剂CGP42112检测受体功能.结果:重组慢病毒载体感染PC-3、DU145前列腺癌细胞24 h后均能观察到eGFP表达,用流式细胞术分别筛选出单克隆细胞株,RT-PCR及Western blot检测结果显示目的基因hAT2R在两株重组细胞系中表达显著升高,CGP42112处理24h后,重组细胞系细胞活力较正常PC-3、DU145细胞显著降低.结论:成功构建hAT2R过表达稳定细胞系.

Background: Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] has been identified to inhibit the growth of many types of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. However, the rapid degradation of Ang-(1-7) in vivo limits its clinical application. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype-8 is a remarkable vector for long-term in vivo gene delivery. Method: This study was designed to investigate the effects of AAV-mediated Ang-(1-7) overexpression on hepatocellular carcinoma. We first generated three different tyrosine (Y) to phenylalanine (F) mutants of AAV8 (Y447F, Y703F, Y708F) and evaluated their in vivo transduction efficiencies. Results: The data indicated that the Y703F mutant elicited a significant enhancement of liver gene delivery when compared with wild-type AAV8 (wtAAV8). The anti-tumor effect of Ang-(1-7) mediated by this optimized vector was evaluated in H22 hepatoma-bearing mice. Our results demonstrated that AAV-Ang-(1-7) persistently inhibited the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma by significantly downregulating angiogenesis. This was confirmed by observed decreases in the levels of the proangiogenic factors VEGF and PIGF. Conclusion: Collectively, these data suggest that Ang-(1-7) overexpression mediated by the optimized vector may be an effective alternative for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy due to its long-term and significant anti-tumor activity.

Ang-(1-7) inhibits lung cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. However, the molecular mechanism of action is unclear and also the rapid degradation of Ang-(1-7) in vivo limits its clinical application. Here, we have demonstrated that Ang-(1-7) inhibits lung cancer cell growth by interrupting pre-replicative complex assembly and restrains epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Cdc6 inhibition. Furthermore, we constructed a mutant adeno-associated viral vector AAV8 (Y733F) that produced stable and high efficient Ang-(1-7) expression in a xenograft tumor model. The results show that AAV8-mediated Ang-(1-7) over-expression can remarkably suppress tumor growth in vivo by down-regulating Cdc6 and anti-angiogenesis. Ang-(1-7) over-expression via the AAV8 method may be a promising strategy for lung cancer treatment.

Objective:To construct a robust expressing vector of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 38kD protein,which is able to induce high efficient and secretory expression of 38kD protein in transfected HEK293T cells.Methods:The 38kD gene of M.tuberculosis was synthesized and cloned to T-vector,and then subcoloned into the pcDNA3.0 vector.The recombinant pcDNA3.0-38kD was verified by enzyme digestion,and then transfected into HEK293T cells by polyethylenemine(PEI)-based transfection.The transfected cells and supernatants were collected separately for the detection of 38kD protein by Western blot after the media were changed to serum-free DMEM media for 3 days.Results:We have obtained a robust M.tuberculosis 38kD protein expressing vector,pcDNA3.0-38kD,which can elicit the expression of high level of 38kD protein in both cell supernatants and lysates in transfected HEK293T cells.Conclusion:High level of secretory M.tuberculosis 38kD protein was expressed in mammalian cells,and it can be potentially used in the development of serological diagnostic kit for tuberculosis.

Background Rational design of AAV capsids is a simple method for enhancing AAV transduction efficiency. AAV-DJ is a highly recombinogenic hybrid vector created from DNA shuffling of eight AAV serotypes, which mediates efficient gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. AAV2 and AAV8 are the closest parental vectors of AAV-DJ and it has been reported that mutations on the 137/251/503 ubiquitination or phosphorylation sites of the AAV2 or AAV8 capsid lead to dramatic enhancement of gene delivery. Here, we aimed to find out whether the same point mutations on the AAV-DJ capsid could lead to significant improvement for gene delivery both in vitro and in vivo. Results We constructed three single point mutants (K137R/T251A/S503A) of AAV-DJ and the transduction efficiency of these mutants and AAV-DJ were investigated using two reporter gene systems including green fluorescent protein (GFP) and dual-luciferase (Gaussia luciferase and Firefly luciferase). Data indicated that single point mutations T251A/S503A lead to significant improvement of dual-luciferase expression in vivo after tail vein (TV) injection in mice respectively, despite limited enhancement of GFP expression in 293 T, Hela and HepG2 cells in vitro. Moreover, in vivo bioluminescence image and viral genome DNA copy number in tissue analysis showed that these mutants reserved the liver tropism characteristics, consistent with AAV-DJ. Conclusion Single point mutations on the 251/503 sites of AAV-DJ capsid can lead to a significant improvement for in vivo gene expression. These enhanced AAV vectors have great potential in gene therapy applications.

OBJECTIVES:Lentiviral vectors have been used successfully to rapidly produce decigram quantities of active recombinant proteins in mammalian cell lines. To optimize the protein production platform, the roles of Ubiquitous Chromatin Opening Element (UCOE), an insulator, and selected promoters were evaluated based on efficiency and stability of foreign gene expression mediated by lentiviral vectors.METHODS:Five lentiviral vectors, pFIN-EF1α-GFP-2A-mCherH-WPRE containing EF1α promoter and HS4 insulator, p'HR.cppt.3'1.2kb-UCOE-SFFV-eGFP containing SFFV promoter and UCOE, pTYF-CMV(β-globin intron)-eGFP containing CMV promoter and β-globin intron, pTYF-CMV-eGFP containing CMV promoter, and pTYF-EF1α-eGFP with EF1α promoter were packaged, titered, and then transduced into 293T cells (1000 viral genomes per cell). The transduced cells were passaged once every three days at a ratio of 1:10. Expression level and stability of the foreign gene, green fluorescence protein (GFP), was evaluated using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry. Furthermore, we constructed a hepatitis C virus (HCV) E1 recombinant lentiviral vector, pLV-CMV-E1, driven by the CMV promoter. This vector was packaged and transduced into 293T cells, and the recombinant cell lines with stable expression of E1 protein were established by limiting dilution.RESULTS:GFP expression in 293T cells transduced with the five lentiviral vectors peaked between passages 3 and 5 and persisted for more than 5 weeks. The expression was prolonged in the cells transduced with TYF-CMV (β-globin intron)-eGFP or TYF-CMV-eGFP, demonstrating less than a 50% decrease even at 9 weeks post transduction (p>0.05). The TYF-CMV-eGFP-transduced cells began with a higher level of GFP expression than other vectors did. The percentage of GFP positive cells for any of the five lentiviral vectors sustained over time. Moreover, the survival rates of all transfected cells exceeded 80% at both 5 and 9 weeks post transduction. Surprisingly, neither the HS4 insulator nor the UCOE sequence improved the GFP expression level or stability. Clonal cell lines with HCV E1 gene were generated from LV-CMV-E1 vector-infected 293T cells. A representative recombinant cell line maintained stable E1expression for at least 9 weeks without significant difference in morphology compared with untreated 293T cells.CONCLUSION:The results suggest that all five vectors can stably transduce 293T cells, producing long term transgene expression with different efficiencies. However, neither the insulator nor the UCOE improved the GFP expression. The vectors containing the promoter CMV or CMV (β-globin intron) generated the highest gene expressions, manifesting as more favorable candidates for recombinant protein production in HEK293T cells.

Objective To construct a recombinant adenovirus expressing human coagulation factor Ⅶ( FⅦ) .Methods The FⅦfragment obtained by double restriction enzymes (BamHⅠand EcoRⅤ)digested from the vector pcDNA3.1-FⅦand blunted by T4 DNA polymerase was cloned into the shuttle vector pAdTrack-CMV a cassette that expresses enhanced green fluorescence protein ( EGFP) .The resultant recombinant plasmid pAdTrack-CMV-FⅦwas identified by restriction en-zyme digestion and DNA sequencing .Then, the plasmid was linearized by digesting with restriction endonuclease PmeⅠand subsequently transformed into competent BJ 5183 cells together with the adenoviral backbone plasmid pAdEasy-1. Recombinants were selected for kanamycin resistance and recombination was confirmed by restriction endonuclease analy -sis.In order to obtain the recombinant adenovirus Ad-FⅦ, the confirmed recombinant adenovirus plasmid pAd-FⅦ was digested with PacⅠto liberate both inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) and transfected into 293A cells.The level of protein FⅦexpression in 293 A cells infected with the recombinant adenovirus Ad-FⅦwas detected by Western blot .Transfection efficiency and infection efficiency were determined by the observation of EGFP expression in 293A cells.Results The FⅦrecombinant adenovirus was packaged successfully , and the level of protein FⅦ expression in 293 A cells infected by the recombinant adenovirus Ad-FⅦ was high .Conclusion The high expression of FⅦ mediated by recombinant adenovirus will contribute to the production of FⅦwith high biological activity in mammalian cells .

为构建携带牛病毒性腹泻病毒(BVDV) E0基因的重组慢病毒质粒,并检测其在HEK-293T细胞中的表达,本研究通过合成BVDV E0基因序列(AJ133739.1),构建包含IgK信号肽的pZJ-CMV-eGFP-IgK-E0重组质粒和不合信号肽的pZJ-CMV-eGFP-E0重组质粒,将其采用PEI方法分别转染HEK-293T细胞包装慢病毒,并浓缩后测定滴度,收集转染后上清液进行western blot检测蛋白表达.通过酶切、PCR及测序鉴定表明E0基因正确整合至慢病毒载体中,western blot结果表明其能够在HEK-293T细胞中表达.本研究构建获得携带BVDV E0基因的重组慢病毒,为BVDV E0蛋白哺乳动物细胞中的表达及其免疫原性研究奠定基础.

OBJECTIVE:To construct a recombinant lentiviral vector for p38 MAPK and establish a human prostatic carcinoma cell line that stably expresses p38 MAPK.METHODS:EGFP/p38 fusion gene was subcloned into the lentiviral vector pTYF- EF1α-IRES-EGFP. The recombinant lentiviral vector pTYF-EF1α-EGFP/p38 was indentified by restriction enzyme digestion, and packaged in HEK 293T cells using lipofectamintm2000 with the packaging plasmid psPAX2 and envelope plasmid pMD2.G. The viral titer was tested according to the expression level of GFP. The resulting recombinant lentiviral vector was transduced into human prostatic carcinoma DU145 cells, and stably transduced cells were selected by limiting dilution analysis. The intracellular expression level of total p38 was detected by Western blotting and the cell growth curve was drawn.RESULTS:DNA restriction enzyme digestion demonstrated that the recombinant lentiviral vector of the fusion gene EGFP/p38 (pTYF-EF1α-EGFP/p38) was constructed successfully. The recombinant lentiviral vector was packaged in 293T with a viral titer of 4.7×10(6) TU/ml. A stable cell line, EGFP/p38-DU145, was established, which stably expressed exogenous EGFP/p38 MAPK fusion protein as detected by Western blotting and showed a lowered growth rate compared to the control cells.CONCLUSION:We have successfully constructed a recombinant lentiviral vector of the fusion gene EGFP/p38 and established a stable cell line EGFP/p38-DU145. Overexpression of p38 has a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of DU145 cells in vitro.