Self-assembly of virus-like particles of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus capsid protein expressed in Escherichia coli and their immunogenicity in rabbits

• Published in: Antiviral research Vol. 131; pp. 85 - 91
• Main Authors: Guo, Huimin, Zhu, Jie, Tan, Yonggui, Li, Chuanfeng, Chen, Zongyan, Sun, Shiqi, Liu, Guangqing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01.07.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Caliciviridae Infections - immunology; Caliciviridae Infections - prevention & control; Caliciviridae Infections - veterinary; Capsid Proteins - genetics; Capsid Proteins - immunology; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit - chemistry; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Rabbit - immunology; Immunogenicity, Vaccine; Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus; Rabbits; Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins - genetics; Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins - metabolism; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle - genetics; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle - immunology; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle - metabolism; Viral Structural Proteins - genetics; Viral Structural Proteins - immunology; Viral Vaccines - immunology; Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus; Virus-like particle; Vaccine; VP60 gene
• ISSN: 0166-3542; 1872-9096
• DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.04.011

In this study, virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) were evaluated for the development of a vaccine against RHDV infection. The VP60 gene was cloned and inserted into a pSMK expression vector containing a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) tag that can promote the soluble expression of heterologous proteins in Escherichia coli cells. After expression and purification of His-SUMO-VP60 and cleavage of the SUMO tag, we found that the RHDV VP60 protein had self-assembled into VLPs with a similar shape and smaller size compared with authentic RHDV capsid. Next, the antigenicity and immunogenicity of the VLPs were examined. The results showed that RHDV-specific responses were clearly induced in rabbits and that all rabbits in the VLP group survived while those in the negative control group died within 72 h post-infection. These results suggest that VLP-based RHDV could be a promising RHDV vaccine candidate.