Genetic Modifications of Icosahedral Plant Virus-based Nanoparticles for Vaccine and Immunotherapy Applications.

Vaccine development is one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine. Vaccines made of live-attenuated pathogens can revert to virulent live strains, which causes safety concerns. On the other hand, the use of purified antigenic components as subunit vaccines is safer, but less effective, as these components induce lower levels of protective immunity. Multiple copy presentation of an antigenic determinant in a well-ordered and well-defined orientation on a nanosized particle can mimic the natural host-pathogen surface interaction to provide antigen stability and immunogenicity similar to that of conventional vaccines with improved safety. The icosahedral symmetry of plant viral capsid based nanoparticles is highly ordered and their multivalent structured protein nanostructures facilitate genetic modifications that result in the display of heterologous epitopes or antigens attached to coat proteins. These recombinant plant virus-based nanoparticles (PVNs) provide platforms for the induction of humoral and cellular immune responses to genetically fused antigens from pathogenic viruses, bacteria, tumors, and toxins in man and animals. Here, we comprehensively review the developments of several recombinant PVNs as prophylactic and/or therapeutic vaccines for the prevention or treatment of several microbial diseases, pathologies, and toxin poisoning.

Molecular breeding of transgenic white clover (Trifolium repens L.) with field resistance to Alfalfa mosaic virus through the expression of its coat protein gene.

Viral diseases, such as Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), cause significant reductions in the productivity and vegetative persistence of white clover plants in the field. Transgenic white clover plants ectopically expressing the viral coat protein gene encoded by the sub-genomic RNA4 of AMV were generated. Lines carrying a single copy of the transgene were analysed at the molecular, biochemical and phenotypic level under glasshouse and field conditions. Field resistance to AMV infection, as well as mitotic and meiotic stability of the transgene, were confirmed by phenotypic evaluation of the transgenic plants at two sites within Australia. The T(0) and T(1) generations of transgenic plants showed immunity to infection by AMV under glasshouse and field conditions, while the T(4) generation in an agronomically elite 'Grasslands Sustain' genetic background, showed a very high level of resistance to AMV in the field. An extensive biochemical study of the T(4) generation of transgenic plants, aiming to evaluate the level and composition of natural toxicants and key nutritional parameters, showed that the composition of the transgenic plants was within the range of variation seen in non-transgenic populations.

Status of tobacco viruses in Serbia and molecular characterization of tomato spotted wilt virus isolates.

In a four-year survey to determine the presence and distribution of viruses in tobacco crops at 17 localities of the Vojvodina Province and Central Serbia, 380 samples were collected and analyzed by DAS-ELISA. Out of the seven viruses tested, tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), potato virus Y (PVY), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) were detected in 37.9, 33.4, 28.7, 23.9, and 15.5% of the total tested samples, respectively. TSWV was the most frequently found virus at the localities of Central Serbia, while PVY and CMV were the most frequent viruses in the Vojvodina Province. Single infections were prevalent in years 2005-2007 and the most frequent were those of PVY. A triple combination of those viruses was most frequent mixed infection type in 2008. The presence of all five detected viruses was confirmed in selected ELISA-positive samples by RT-PCR and sequencing. The comparisons of obtained virus isolate sequences with those available in NCBI, confirmed the authenticity of serologically detected viruses. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial nucleocapsid gene sequences revealed a joint clustering of Serbian, Bulgarian and Montenegrin TSWV isolates into one geographic subpopulation, which was distinct from the other subpopulation of TSWV isolates from the rest of the European countries. The high incidence of viruses in Serbian tobacco crops highlights the importance of enhancing farmers knowledge towards better implementation of control strategies for preventing serious losses.

Prediction of MHC binding peptides and epitopes from alfalfa mosaic virus.

Peptide fragments from alfalfa mosaic virus involved multiple antigenic components directing and empowering the immune system to protect the host from infection. MHC molecules are cell surface proteins, which take active part in host immune reactions and involvement of MHC class-I & II in response to almost all antigens. Coat protein of alfalfa mosaic virus contains 221 aa residues. Analysis found five MHC ligands in coat protein as 64-LSSFNGLGV-72; 86- RILEEDLIY-94; 96-MVFSITPSY-104; 100- ITPSYAGTF-108; 110- LTDDVTTED-118; having rescaled binding affinity and c-terminal cleavage affinity more than 0.5. The predicted binding affinity is normalized by the 1% fractil. The MHC peptide binding is predicted using neural networks trained on c-terminals of known epitopes. In analysis predicted MHC/peptide binding is a log transformed value related to the IC50 values in nM units. Total numbers of peptides found are 213. Predicted MHC binding regions act like red flags for antigen specific and generate immune response against the parent antigen. So a small fragment of antigen can induce immune response against whole antigen. This theme is implemented in designing subunit and synthetic peptide vaccines. The sequence analysis method allows potential drug targets to identify active sites against plant diseases. The method integrates prediction of peptide MHC class I binding; proteosomal c-terminal cleavage and TAP transport efficiency.

Advances in alfalfa mosaic virus-mediated expression of anthrax antigen in planta.

Plant viruses show great potential for production of pharmaceuticals in plants. Such viruses can harbor a small antigenic peptide(s) as a part of their coat proteins (CP) and elicit an antigen-specific immune response. Here, we report the high yield and consistency in production of recombinant alfalfa mosaic virus (AlMV) particles for specific presentation of the small loop 15 amino acid epitope from domain-4 of the Bacillus anthracis protective antigen (PA-D4s). The epitope was inserted immediately after the first 25 N-terminal amino acids of AlMV CP to retain genome activation and binding of CP to viral RNAs. Recombinant AlMV particles were efficiently produced in tobacco, easily purified for immunological analysis, and exhibited extended stability and systemic proliferation in planta. Intraperitional injections of mice with recombinant plant virus particles harboring the PA-D4s epitope elicited a distinct immune response. Western blotting and ELISA analysis showed that sera from immunized mice recognized both native PA antigen and the AlMV CP.

Detection of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) in pea field in Iran.

During the spring and summer, in 2003-2004, pea viruses were identified in twenty pea fields of Tehran. Some leaf samples were collected randomly from pea fields of Tehran. Samples were tested by Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (DAS-ELISA) technique using polyclonal antiserum of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), AS-0001, DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany). The samples were extracted in 0.1 M Phosphate buffer pH 7 to 7.5 and inoculated on Chenopodium amaranticolor, Chenopodium quina, Phaseolus valgaris, Vicia faba, Vignia unguiculata. Pea cultivars were infected by AMV, causing mild mosaic, translucent veins and a diffuse green-yellow of tender parts and spots may also was involved necrosis of tissue. Infected plants grow slowly and malformed pods produce fewer ovules. In Chenopodium amranticolor, C. quina chlorotic and necrotic flecks, and Vicia faba systemic mosaic had produced. Phaselous vulgaris and Viginia unguiculata are good assay hosts for strains that produce local lesions after 3-5 days in these plants. Back inoculated on Pisum sativum and Vicia faba and tested with DAS-ELISA that had been confirmed the results. This is the first report of AMV on pea from Iran.

Alleged reaction in gel-immunodiffusion of an IgM monoclonal antibody with alfalfa mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus is an artefact.

A previously reported spurious serological cross-reaction between alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), which had been defined by the reaction in gel-immunodiffusion tests of a single IgM monoclonal antibody (MAb), MAb 8, was no longer detected in the presence of 0.1 M-NaCl. The non-specific reactivity of this IgM was also confirmed in Western blotting assays. When skimmed milk was used as a blocking agent and as a diluent of antibodies, MAb 8 failed to recognize AMV and CMV coat proteins. Hence, it is concluded that the alleged cross-reaction between AMV and CMV is due to non-specific binding of MAb 8 and that there is no evidence for a serological relationship between these two viruses.

Construction and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to alfalfa mosaic virus.

Seven monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) isolate T6 were prepared and characterized. One of them (amv 4) reacted with the cryptotope, another (amv 5) with the neotope and the remaining five with various metatopes. Five MoAbs derived from mouse ascitic fluid reacted in immunodiffusion test with native virus and two MoAbs with AMV coat protein. In competitive ELISA, homologous MoAbs caused 80-100% inhibition of the reaction, but some reactions were also affected by heterologous MoAbs. The MoAbs raised against AMV isolate T6 could not be used for differentiation of the four AMV pathotypes examined.