Journal Article
- Recombinant Protein Mimicking the Antigenic Structure of the Viral Surface Envelope Protein Reinforces Induction of an Antigen‑Specific and Virus‑Neutralizing Immune Response Against Dengue Virus
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Ju Kim , Tae Young Lim , Jisang Park , Yong
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J. Microbiol. 2023;61(1):131-143. Published online February 1, 2023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-023-00021-z
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Abstract
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Dengue virus (DENV), belonging to the family Flaviviridae, is the causative agent of dengue and comprises four serotypes.
A second heterologous DENV infection is a critical risk factor for severe dengue, and no effective vaccine is available to
prevent infection by all four DENV serotypes. Recombinant DENV vaccines are primarily based on the envelope proteins,
prM and E. The E protein and its envelope domain III (EDIII) have been investigated as candidate antigens (Ags) for
recombinant subunit vaccines. However, most EDIII-based Ags are monomers that do not display the cognate antigenic
structure of E protein, which is essential for induction of virus-neutralizing immunity. Here, we developed recombinant
DENV-2 envelope domain (r2ED) protein as an Ag that mimics the quaternary structure of E protein on the DENV surface.
We confirmed that r2ED retained the conformational epitope displayed at the E-dimer interface, which reportedly exhibits
broad virus-neutralizing capacity, without displaying the fusion loop epitope that causes antibody (Ab)-dependent enhancement.
Furthermore, compared with EDIII alone, r2ED elicited stronger Ag-specific and cross-reactive neutralizing Ab and
T cell-mediated immune responses in mice. This Ag-specific immunity was maintained at an elevated level 6 months after
the last immunization, suggesting sustained Ag-specific immune memory. Taken together, these observations suggest that
r2ED could be used to develop an improved subunit vaccine capable of inducing a broadly cross-reactive and long-lasting
immune response against DENV infection.
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- Peptides of a Feather: How Computation Is Taking Peptide Therapeutics under Its Wing
Thomas David Daniel Kazmirchuk, Calvin Bradbury-Jost, Taylor Ann Withey, Tadesse Gessese, Taha Azad, Bahram Samanfar, Frank Dehne, Ashkan Golshani
Genes.2023; 14(6): 1194. CrossRef
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Studies on Synonymous Codon and Amino Acid Usage Biases in the Broad-Host Range Bacteriophage KVP40
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Keya Sau , Sanjib Kumar Gupta , Subrata Sau , Subhas Chandra Mandal , Tapash Chandra Ghosh
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J. Microbiol. 2007;45(1):58-63.
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DOI: https://doi.org/2490 [pii]
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Abstract
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In this study, the relative synonymous codon and amino acid usage biases of the broad-host range phage, KVP40, were investigated in an attempt to understand the structure and function of its proteins/proteincoding genes, as well as the role of its tRNAs. Synonymous codons in KVP40 were determined to be ATrich at the third codon positions, and their variations are dictated principally by both mutational bias and translational selection. Further analysis revealed that the RSCU of KVP40 is distinct from that of its Vibrio hosts, V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus. Interestingly, the expression of the putative highly expressed genes of KVP40 appear to be preferentially influenced by the abundant host tRNA species, whereas the tRNAs expressed by KVP40 may be required for the efficient synthesis of all its proteins in a diverse array of hosts. The data generated in this study also revealed that KVP40 proteins are rich in low molecular weight amino acid residues, and that these variations are influenced primarily by hydropathy, mean molecular weight, aromaticity, and cysteine content.