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© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Efforts to develop a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have primarily focused on the RSV fusion protein. The pre-fusion conformation of this protein induces the most potent neutralizing antibodies and is the focus of recent efforts in vaccine development. Following the first identification of mutations in the RSV F protein (DS-Cav1 mutant protein) that stabilized the pre-fusion conformation, other mutant stabilized pre-fusion F proteins have been described. To determine if there are differences in alternate versions of stabilized pre-fusion F proteins, we explored the use, as vaccine candidates, of virus-like particles (VLPs) containing five different pre-fusion F proteins, including the DS-Cav1 protein. The expression of these five pre-F proteins, their assembly into VLPs, their pre-fusion conformation stability in VLPs, their reactivity with anti-F monoclonal antibodies, and their induction of immune responses after the immunization of mice, were characterized, comparing VLPs containing the DS-Cav1 pre-F protein with VLPs containing four alternative pre-fusion F proteins. The concentrations of anti-F IgG induced by each VLP that blocked the binding of prototype monoclonal antibodies using two different soluble pre-fusion F proteins as targets were measured. Our results indicate that both the conformation and immunogenicity of alternative VLP associated stabilized pre-fusion RSV F proteins are different from those of DS-Cav1 VLPs.

Details

Title
Comparison of Immune Responses to Different Versions of VLP Associated Stabilized RSV Pre-Fusion F Protein
Author
Cullen, Lori M 1 ; Schmidt, Madelyn R 2 ; Torres, Gretel M 3 ; Capoferri, Adam A 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Morrison, Trudy G 2 

 Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA 
 Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA; Program of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA 
 Program of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA 
First page
21
Publication year
2019
Publication date
2019
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
2076393X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2550296716
Copyright
© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.