Prime-Boost Vaccination With a Novel Hemagglutinin Protein Produced in Bacteria Induces Neutralizing Antibody Responses Against H5-Subtype Influenza Viruses in Commercial Chickens.

The highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza virus (AIV), H5N1 and reassortant H5-subtype HPAIVs, H5N2, H5N6, and H5N8, cause high mortality in domestic birds, resulting in economic losses in the poultry industry. H5N1 and H5N6 also pose significant public health risks and H5N1 viruses are a permanent pandemic threat. To control HPAIVs, eukaryotic expression systems have traditionally been exploited to produce vaccines based on hemagglutinin (HA), a protective viral antigen. In contrast, we used a bacterial expression system to produce vaccine targeting the HA protein. A fragment of the HA ectodomain from H5N1, with a multibasic cleavage site deletion, was expressed in Escherichia coli, refolded, and chromatographically purified from inclusion bodies. The resulting antigen, rH5-E. coli, was validated in terms of conformational integrity and oligomerization status. Previously, the protective efficacy of rH5-E. coli adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide, has been positively verified by challenging the specific pathogen-free layer chickens with homologous and heterologous H5N1 HPAIVs. Protection was provided primarily by the H5 subtype-specific antibodies, as detected in the FluAC H5 test. The present studies were conducted to assess the performance of alum-adjuvanted rH5-E. coli in commercial birds. Broiler chickens were vaccinated twice with 25 µg of rH5-E. coli at 2- and 4-week intervals, while the layer chickens were vaccinated with 5- to 25-µg antigen doses at 4- and 6-week intervals. Post-vaccination sera were analyzed for anti-H5 HA antibodies, using homologous ELISA and heterologous FluAC H5 and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests. Prime-boost immunizations with rH5-E. coli elicited H5 HA-specific antibodies in all the chickens tested. Two antigen doses administered at 4- or 6-week intervals were sufficient to induce neutralizing antibodies against H5-subtype HAs; however, they were ineffective when applied with a 2-week delay. In the layers, 80% to 100% of individuals developed antibodies that were active in the FluAC H5 and/or HI tests. A dose-sparing effect was seen when using the longer prime-boost interval. In the broiler chickens, 62.5% positivity was achieved in the FluAC H5 and/or HI tests. The trials confirmed the vaccine potential of rH5-E. coli and provided indications for anti-influenza vaccination with respect to the chicken type and immunization scheme.

Insight into human insulin aggregation revisited using NMR derived translational diffusion parameters.

The NMR derived translational diffusion coefficients were performed on unlabeled and uniformly labeled 13C,15N human insulin in water, both in neat, with zinc ions only, and in pharmaceutical formulation, containing only m-cresol as phenolic ligand, glycerol and zinc ions. The results show the dominant role of the pH parameter and the concentration on aggregation. The diffusion coefficient Dav was used for monitoring the overall average state of oligomeric ensemble in solution. The analysis of the experimental data of diffusion measurements, using the direct exponential curve resolution algorithm (DECRA) allows suggesting the two main components of the oligomeric ensemble. The 3D HSQC-iDOSY, (diffusion ordered HSQC) experiments performed on 13C, 15N-fully labeled insulin at the two pH values, 4 and 7.5, allow for the first time a more detailed experimental observation of individual components in the ensemble. The discussion involves earlier static and dynamic laser light scattering experiments and recent NMR derived translational diffusion results. The results bring new informations concerning the preparation of pharmaceutical formulation and in particular a role of Zn2+ ions. They also will enable better understanding and unifying the results of studies on insulin misfolding effects performed in solution by diverse physicochemical methods at different pH and concentration.

Production of highly and broad-range specific monoclonal antibodies against hemagglutinin of H5-subtype avian influenza viruses and their differentiation by mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: The highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5 subtype, such as the H5N1 viral strains or the novel H5N8 and H5N2 reassortants, are of both veterinary and public health concern worldwide. To combat these viruses, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against H5 hemagglutinin (HA) play a significant role. These mAbs are effective diagnostic and therapeutic agents and powerful tools in vaccine development and basic scientific research. The aim of this study was to obtain diagnostically valuable mAbs with broad strain specificity against H5-subtype AIVs. RESULTS: We applied the hybridoma method to produce anti-HA mAbs. The cloning and screening procedures resulted in the selection of 7 mouse hybridoma cell lines and their respective antibody clones. Preliminary immunoreactivity studies showed that these newly established mAbs, all of the IgG1 isotype, had high specificity and broad-range activities against the H5 HAs. However, these studies did not allow for a clear distinction among the selected antibodies and mAb-secreting hybridoma clones. To differentiate the analyzed mAbs and determine the exact number of hybridoma clones, peptide mapping of the Fc and Fab fragments was performed using a Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) mass spectrometer. Detailed analyses of the acquired MS and MS/MS spectra confirmed that the Fc fragments constituted highly conserved species- and isotype-immunoglobulin components, whereas the Fab fragments exhibited considerable variation in the sequences that determine antibody specificity. This approach enabled unambiguous characterization of the selected mAbs according to their peptide composition. As a result, 6 different clones were distinguished. CONCLUSIONS: Our work provided a unique panel of anti-H5 HA mAbs, which meets the demand for novel, high-specificity analytical tools for use in serologic surveillance. Applications of these mAbs in areas other than diagnostics are also possible. Moreover, we demonstrated for the first time that peptide mapping of antibody fragments with mass spectrometry is an efficient method for the differentiation of antibody clones and relevant antibody-producing cell lines. The method may be successfully used to characterize mAbs at the protein level.

The Different Faces of Rolling-Circle Replication and Its Multifunctional Initiator Proteins.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) contributes greatly to the plasticity and evolution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. The main carriers of foreign DNA in HGT are mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that have extremely diverse genetic structures and properties. Various strategies are used for the maintenance and spread of MGEs, including (i) vegetative replication, (ii) transposition (and other types of recombination), and (iii) conjugal transfer. In many MGEs, all of these processes are dependent on rolling-circle replication (RCR). RCR is one of the most well characterized models of DNA replication. Although many studies have focused on describing its mechanism, the role of replication initiator proteins has only recently been subject to in-depth analysis, which indicates their involvement in multiple biological process associated with RCR. In this review, we present a general overview of RCR and its impact in HGT. We focus on the molecular characteristics of RCR initiator proteins belonging to the HUH and Rep_trans protein families. Despite analogous mechanisms of action these are distinct groups of proteins with different catalytic domain structures. This is the first review describing the multifunctional character of various types of RCR initiator proteins, including the latest discoveries in the field. Recent reports provide evidence that (i) proteins initiating vegetative replication (Rep) or mobilization for conjugal transfer (Mob) may also have integrase (Int) activity, (ii) some Mob proteins are capable of initiating vegetative replication (Rep activity), and (iii) some Rep proteins can act like Mob proteins to mobilize plasmid DNA for conjugal transfer. These findings have significant consequences for our understanding of the role of RCR, not only in DNA metabolism but also in the biology of many MGEs.

Correction: A novel hemagglutinin protein produced in bacteria protects chickens against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses by inducing H5 subtype-specific neutralizing antibodies.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172008.].

Soluble insulin analogs combining rapid- and long-acting hypoglycemic properties - From an efficient E. coli expression system to a pharmaceutical formulation.

The discovery of insulin led to a revolution in diabetes management. Since then, many improvements have been introduced to insulin preparations. The availability of molecular genetic techniques has enabled the creation of insulin analogs by changing the structure of the native protein in order to improve the therapeutic properties. A new expression vector pIBAINS for production of four recombinant human insulin (INS) analogs (GKR, GEKR, AKR, SR) was constructed and overexpressed in the new E. coli 20 strain as a fusion protein with modified human superoxide dismutase (SOD). The SOD gene was used as a signal peptide to enhance the expression of insulin. SOD::INS was manufactured in the form of insoluble inclusion bodies. After cleavage of the fusion protein with trypsin, the released insulin analogs were refolded and purified by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Elongation of chain A, described here for the first time, considerably improved the stability of the selected analogs. Their identity was confirmed with mass spectrometric techniques. The biological activity of the insulin derivatives was tested on rats with experimental diabetes. The obtained results proved that the new analogs described in this paper have the potential to generate prolonged hypoglycemic activity and may allow for even less frequent subcutaneous administration than once-a-day. When applied, all the analogs demonstrate a rapid onset of action. Such a combination renders the proposed biosynthetic insulin unique among already known related formulations.

A novel hemagglutinin protein produced in bacteria protects chickens against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses by inducing H5 subtype-specific neutralizing antibodies.

The highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) cause a mortality rate of up to 100% in infected chickens and pose a permanent pandemic threat. Attempts to obtain effective vaccines against H5N1 HPAIVs have focused on hemagglutinin (HA), an immunodominant viral antigen capable of eliciting neutralizing antibodies. The vast majority of vaccine projects have been performed using eukaryotic expression systems. In contrast, we used a bacterial expression system to produce vaccine HA protein (bacterial HA) according to our own design. The HA protein with the sequence of the H5N1 HPAIV strain was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli, recovered in the form of inclusion bodies and refolded by dilution between two chromatographic purification steps. Antigenicity studies showed that the resulting antigen, referred to as rH5-E. coli, preserves conformational epitopes targeted by antibodies specific for H5-subtype HAs, inhibiting hemagglutination and/or neutralizing influenza viruses in vitro. The proper conformation of this protein and its ability to form functional oligomers were confirmed by a hemagglutination test. Consistent with the biochemical characteristics, prime-boost immunizations with adjuvanted rH5-E. coli protected 100% and 70% of specific pathogen-free, layer-type chickens against challenge with homologous and heterologous H5N1 HPAIVs, respectively. The observed protection was related to the positivity in the FluAC H5 test (IDVet) but not to hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody titers. Due to full protection, the effective contact transmission of the homologous challenge virus did not occur. Survivors from both challenges did not or only transiently shed the viruses, as established by viral RNA detection in oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs. Our results demonstrate that vaccination with rH5-E. coli could confer control of H5N1 HPAIV infection and transmission rates in chicken flocks, accompanied by reduced virus shedding. Moreover, the role of H5 subtype-specific neutralizing antibodies in anti-influenza immunity and a novel correlate of protection are indicated.

Structure and pharmaceutical formulation development of a new long-acting recombinant human insulin analog studied by NMR and MS.

A monomer structure of a novel human insulin analog A22S-B3K-B31R (SK3R) has been characterized by NMR in water/acetonitrile solution and compared with the structure of human insulin (HIS) established in the same medium. The composition of the oligomer ensemble for neat insulins in water was qualitatively assessed by monitoring, derived from NMR experiment, translational diffusion coefficient Dix10-10m2s-1, whose value is a population averaged of individual coefficients for species in oligomeric ensemble. Nanospray ESI/MS experiment was used to establish the masses of oligomers in pharmaceutical formulation of the SK3R insulin. The pharmacodynamic data were established and compared to insulin glargine characterized by the same profile of action in diabetics. The oligomerization process of insulin during development of pharmaceutical formulation with routinely used excipients has been studied using translation diffusion coefficient Dix10-10m2s-1 established in water solution. These properties were compared with those of human insulin (HIS) which is a standard reference for novel recombinant insulins.

Efficient Source of Cells in Proximal Oviduct for Testing Non-Viral Expression Constructs in the Chicken Bioreactor Model and for Other in Vitro Studies.

This work shows the usefulness of chicken oviduct epithelial cells (COEC) in evaluating the efficacy of non-viral expression vectors carrying human therapeutic genes. Secondly, an efficient source of progenitor COEC for in vitro studies is described. Within the distal part of the oviduct, weak to moderate expression of a trans membrane glycoprotein (CD44) was observed. Single cells presenting only weak expression of CD44 were found in magnum sections. in vitro cultured oviduct cells originating from the distal oviduct were suitable for subculturing and showed a stable proliferation potential up to the 2nd passage. However, the pavimentous epithelial-like morphology of COEC was progressively lost over time and mainly a fibroblast-like monolayer was established in consecutive passages. Moreover, various commercial transfection agents including FuGENE6 and XtremeGENE9 DNA were used to optimize delivery of human interferon alfa-2a, (IFNα2a) a therapeutic protein gene under an ovalbumin promoter. The transfection efficiency of adherent COEC was estimated for up to 40% at a ratio of 6:1 of transfectant to pOVA5EIFN + GFP plasmid. Expression of IFNα2a was confirmed by western blotting in transformed COEC. In conclusion, the population of epithelial progenitor cells sourced from the distal oviduct can significantly contribute to in vitro culture of COEC, representing an efficient model to develop the production of avian bioreactors and other in vitro studies related to oviduct tissue.

The factor VIII protein and its function.

Factor VIII (FVIII), an essential blood coagulation protein, is a key component of the fluid phase blood coagulation system. Human factor VIII is a single chain of about 300 kDa consisting of domains described as A1-A2-B-A3-C1-C2. The protein undergoes processing prior to secretion into blood resulting in a heavy chain of 200 kDa (A1-A2-B) and a light chain of 80 kDa (A3-C1-C2) linked by metal ions. The role of factor VIII is to increase the catalytic efficiency of factor IXa in the activation of factor X. Variants of these factors lead frequently also to severe bleeding disorders.

Expression of recombinant human bifunctional peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase in CHO cells and its use for insulin analogue modification.

The availability of catalytically active peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) should provide the means to examine its potential use for the chemienzymatic synthesis of bioactive peptides for the purpose of pharmacological studies. Hypoglycemic activity is one of the most important features of insulin derivatives. Insulin glargine amide was found to show a time/effect profile which is distinctly more flat and thus more advantageous than insulin glargine itself. The aim of the study was to obtain recombinant PAM and use it for insulin analogue amidation. We stably expressed a recombinant PAM in CHO dhfr-cells in culture. Recombinant PAM was partially purified by fractional ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography. The enzyme was used to modify glycine-extended A22(G)-B31(K)-B32(R) human insulin analogue (GKR). Alpha-amidated insulin was analyzed by HPLC and mass spectrometry. Hypoglycemic activity of amidated and non-amidated insulin was compared. The pharmacodynamic effect was based on glucose concentration measurement in Wistar rats with hyperglycemia induced by streptozotocin. The overall glycemic profile up to 36 h was evaluated after subcutaneous single dosing at a range of 2.5-7.5 U/kg b.w. The experiment on rats confirmed with a statistical significance (P < 0.05) hypoglycemic activity of GKR-NH2 in comparison to a control group receiving 0.9% NaCl. Characteristics for GKR-NH2 profile was a rather fast beginning of action (0.5-2.0 h) and quite prolonged return to initial values. GKR-NH2 is a candidate for a hypoglycemic drug product in diabetes care. In addition, this work also provides a valuable alternative method for preparing any other recombinant bioactive peptides with C-terminal amidation.

Flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis in cryoconserved chicken primordial germ cells.

Our research aimed to compare the effects of four cryoprotectants and four slow freezing programs on the viability and apoptosis of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in vitro. PGCs were collected from chicken embryonic blood at Hamburger and Hamilton (HH) stages 14-16 and purified by Percoll density gradient centrifugation and then subjected to cryopreservation. We applied microscopy to determine the survival of PGCs after trypan blue staining and flow cytometry to examine apoptosis and viability after annexin V kit staining. We also examined the functionality of cryopreserved PGCs in vivo. Significant differences in viability of PGCs determined via microscopy and flow cytometry were observed. The most unfavorable combination for slow freezing PGCs was program 3 and MIX H (10% DMSO and 5% glycerol in Hank's solution supplemented with 10% FBS) as the cryoprotectant (48.43 and 15.37% live and early apoptotic PGCs, respectively). The highest average percentage of live PGCs (93.1%) and the lowest percentage of early apoptotic PGCs (6.5%) were achieved by slow freezing PGCs in the presence of DMSO F (10% DMSO in FBS) via program 1. Therefore, this method was chosen for the in vivo test. Cryopreserved (group 1) and freshly isolated (group 2) PGCs were transfectedwith a pEGFP-N1 plasmid, cultured under antibiotic selection, and then injected into 3-day-old embryos. After 5 days of incubation, we identified the EGFP marker gene in the gonads of 40 and 45% of recipients in groups 1 and 2, respectively. This is the first study to apply flow cytometry to examine the apoptosis and viability of cryopreserved PGCs. The in vitro and in vivo findings showed that the developed PGC cryoconservation method, depending on slow freezing at the rate of 2°C/min (program 1) in the presence of 10% DMSO F, is an improvement over previous cryoconservation methods and may be a useful tool for the ex situ strategy of poultry biodiversity preservation.

pIGWZ12--A cryptic plasmid with a modular structure.

We studied the detailed structure of the cryptic plasmid pIGWZ12, which was isolated from an Escherichia coli strain. pIGWZ12 is composed of two structural modules of distinct evolutionary origin. The REP module, which contains all the features necessary for replication and stable maintenance in the bacterial cell, was assigned by genotyping to the IncF family. The MOB module, which is responsible for plasmid mobilization, shows significant homology to MOBQ modules from broad-host-range plasmids belonging to the RSF1010/R1162 family. We showed that iterons located in the origin of replication are the target for specific binding by the replication initiator protein RepApIGWZ12. Furthermore, we proved that the promoter for the repA gene overlaps with the iterons, and that the latter are the sole determinant of incompatibility. We performed a mutagenesis analysis of the MOBpIGWZ12 module and characterized the roles played by all identified genes (mobA and mobC), as well as the role played by oriT in mobilization. Finally, we showed that it was possible to remove the MOB module from pIGWZ12 without any loss in plasmid replication and stability. Furthermore, the MOBpIGWZ12 module was fully functional after subcloning into another plasmid. Therefore, pIGWZ12 is yet another example of modular structure in small cryptic plasmids.

Obtaining chicken primordial germ cells used for gene transfer: in vitro and in vivo results.

Recently, several attempts have been made to create a generation of transgenic chickens via chimeric intermediates produced by primordial germ cells (PGCs) transfer. This study aimed to compare the influences of different chicken PGCs isolated from circulating blood (bPGCs) or gonads (gPGCs), purification (ACK, Percoll or trypsin) and transfection methods (electroporation or lipofection) on the expression of transgenes in vitro and the migration of modified donor cells to the recipient gonads. The highest average frequency of pEGFP-N1 plasmid-transfected bPGCs (75.8%) was achieved with Percoll density gradient centrifugation and electroporation. After ammonium chloride-potassium (ACK) treatment and lipofection, in vitro transgene expression was only detected in 35.2% of bPGCs. Chimeric chickens were produced from these purified, transfected and cultured cells, and the transgene was detected in the gonads of 44 and 42% of the recipient embryos that had been injected with bPGCs and gPGCs, respectively. These data confirmed that the combination of PGC purification via Percoll centrifugation and electroporation was an effective method for producing transgenic chickens. Subsequently, we used this method with expression vectors for gene hIFNα 2a/hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) under the control of the ovalbumin promoter to generate G0 transgenic chickens. Consequently, we observed that 4.9% of the hens and 3.5% of the roosters carried the hIFNα 2a gene, whereas 16.7% of the hens and 2.4% of the roosters carried the HBsAg gene, thus undisputedly confirming the exceptional effectiveness of the applied methods.

Expression of avian influenza haemagglutinin (H5) and chicken interleukin 2 (chIL-2) under control of the ptcB promoter in Lactococcus lactis.

Gram-positive and nonpathogenic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are considered to be promising candidates for the development of new, safe systems of heterologous protein expression. Recombinant LAB has been shown to induce specific local and systemic immune response against selected pathogens, and could be a good alternative to classical attenuated carriers. The main goal of our study was to express the avian influenza haemagglutinin (H5) and chicken interleukin 2 (chIL-2) in Lactococcus lactis. Results of this study were anticipated to lead to construction of lactococcal strain(s) with potential vaccine properties against the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. Expression of the cloned H5 gene, its His-tagged variant and chIL-2 gene, under the control of the ptcB gene promoter was attested by RT-PCR on transcriptional level and Western or dot blot analysis on translational level, demonstrating that system can be an attractive solution for production of heterologous proteins. The results of the preliminary animal trial conducted in mice are a promising step toward development of a vaccine against avian bird flu using Lactococcus lactis cells as antigen carriers.

A universal flu vaccine.

Influenza is a global health concern. The single most effective way of protecting people against influenza infection and disease is vaccination. However, currently available vaccines against influenza induce only strain-specific immunity, and do not elicit long-lasting serum antibody titers. Therefore, they are ineffective in the case of possible pandemics. There is an urgent need for a new generation vaccine which would induce broad and long-lasting immune protection against antigenically distinct flu viruses. The paper presents recent achievements and the challenges in the field of universal vaccine construction.

Use of Ubp1 protease analog to produce recombinant human growth hormone in Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: Numerous bacterial human growth hormone (hGH) expression methods under conventional fermentation and induction conditions have been described. Despite significant progress made in this area over the past several years, production of recombinant hGH by using cellular expression systems still requires further optimization. Fusion of the ubiquitin (Ub) tag to the hGH protein allowed to increase of the overall efficiency of the biosynthesis and improve the protein stability. Ub is a protein composed of 76 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 8.6 kDa, expressed in all eukaryotes. This protein is an element of the universal protein modification system, which does not occur in bacteria, and is a useful carrier for heterologous proteins obtained through expression in Escherichia coli. Purification of Ub-fusion proteins is easier than that of unconjugated recombinant proteins, and Ub can be removed by deubiquitinating proteases (DUBs or UBPs). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the present study the UBPD2C protease, a stable UBP1 analog, was produced as a recombinant protein in E. coli and used for production of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH). hGH was expressed as a fusion protein with Ub as a tag. Our findings show that the UBPD2C protease is very effective in removing the Ub moiety from recombinant Ub-fused hGH. The described approach enables obtaining a considerable yield of rhGH in a purity required for pharmaceutical products.

A novel system for stable, high-level expression from the T7 promoter.

BACKGROUND: The most widespread, efficient prokaryotic protein-producing system is one where the T7 phage polymerase recognizes the T7 phage promoter (T7 p/p system). Unfortunately, in this system, target protein expression gradually declines and is often undetectable following 3 to 5 subcultures. Although a number of studies have attempted to stabilize the expression levels of the T7 p/p system, none has resolved the problem adequately and thus precludes the use of this system for the production of recombinant proteins on a large scale. RESULTS: We created an expression cassette enabling stable, high-level expression in the T7p/p system. The cassette was tested with two different vector backbones and two target proteins. In all experiments, the expression system using the new cassette exhibited high and stable protein expression levels when compared to the traditional system. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we describe a universal expression cassette that enables high-level, stable target protein expression in T7 RNA polymerase-based expression systems. We also present the successful use of this cassette as a novel expression platform and demonstrate its ability to overcome the main deficiency of the T7 p/p system. Thus, we provide a method for using the T7 p/p system on an industrial scale.