The respiratory syncytial virus subgroup B attachment glycoprotein: analysis of sequence, expression from a recombinant vector, and evaluation as an immunogen against homologous and heterologous subgroup virus challenge (original) (raw)

Resistance to human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection induced by immunization of cotton rats with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the RSV G glycoprotein

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1986

A cDNA copy of the G glycoprotein gene of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was placed under control of a vaccinia virus promoter and inserted into the thymidine kinase locus of the vaccinia virus genome. The recombinant vaccinia virus retained infectivity and expressed a 93-kDa protein that migrated with the authentic RSV G glycoprotein upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Glycosylation of the expressed protein and transport to the cell surface were demonstrated in the absence of other RSV proteins. Cotton rats that were inoculated intradermally with the infectious recombinant virus produced serum antibody to the G glycoprotein that neutralized RSV in vitro. Furthermore, the vaccinated animals were resistant to lower respiratory tract infection upon intranasal inoculation with RSV and had reduced titers of RSV in the nose.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Heterogeneity of Subgroup B Strains

Journal of General Virology, 1988

In order to investigate further possible structural differences among the two subgroups of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), we analysed the antigenic characteristics and size of structural proteins of 20 subgroup A and 43 subgroup B strains by their reactions with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against the proteins of RSV using immunofluorescence, ELISA and radioimmunoprecipitation assays. The latter test also enabled determination of the size of different structural components. The 37 MAbs employed were generated by immunization with both subgroup A and B strains. They represented specificities for distinct epitopes on five different structural proteins. The subgroup A strains proved to be relatively uniform. The fusion (F) protein, nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix (M) proteins of all strains tested had the same Mr and all except one strain had a phosphoprotein (P protein) of the same Mr. The F and P proteins were lower in Mr in B strains compared to A strains, which confirmed previous findings. The Mr of the large surface glycoprotein (G protein) of subgroup A strains varied slightly, probably on the basis of differing glycosylation. By contrast, the subgroup B strains exhibited substantial variation in the Mr of the G and also the P proteins and in reactivity with MAbs directed against the G and F proteins. Three size classes of the P protein were identified in B strains: 33K to 34K, 32K to 33K, and 31K to 32K. Twenty-seven subgroup B strains failed to react with four anti-G MAbs representing a single epitope, G2; the remaining 16 strains reacted with these MAbs. We designated these two sets of variants of B strains B 1, which lacked the epitope, and B2, which had the epitope. The B1 strains also varied in the size of the G and P proteins. In contrast, all B2 strains had large G proteins and all except two strains had relatively large P proteins (33K to 34K). All subgroup B1 and B2 strains exhibited the same sizes of NP, F and M proteins. We conclude that the subgroup B strains of RSV include two variants, B 1 and B2, and that the major difference between them resides in the G and P proteins.

Preparation and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies Directed against Five Structural Components of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Subgroup B

Journal of General Virology, 1987

Mouse hybridomas producing antibodies against the structural proteins of strain WV4843, a subgroup B strain of respiratory syncytial (RS) virus, were produced by fusion of Sp2/0 myeloma cells with spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized with purified preparations of the virus. After immunoprecipitation tests with [35S]methionine-labelled extracellular virions, 35 clones found to produce antibodies against the fusion (F) protein, six against the membrane (M) protein, 21 against the nucleocapsid (NP) and eight against the phospho-(P) protein were further characterized. Immunoprecipitation with [3H]glucosamine-labelled intracellular virus polypeptides detected nine hybridoma cell lines producing antibodies against the large glyco-(G) protein of the virus. By competitive binding ELISA tests with monoclonal antibodies against each of the structural components, a minimum of two, 24, four, 15 and three epitopes were detected on the G, F, M, NP and P proteins, respectively. Eleven monoclonal antibodies directed against nine epitopes of the F protein could neutralize the infectivity of the virus. In contrast, none of the nine monoclonal antibodies against G could neutralize the infectivity of the virus. In order to find out more about the antigenic relationship between human and bovine RS virus strains all monoclonal antibodies were reacted with subgroup A RS virus and also with three different strains of bovine RS virus and one strain of caprine RS virus in immunofluorescence, ELISA and immunoprecipitation tests. In addition, 31 previously developed monoclonal antibodies against subgroup A virus were reacted with the bovine and caprine strains. The numbers of monoclonal antibodies of subgroup B specific for the B type of the two human subgroups were 9/9, 3/35, 0/6, 0/21, 0/8, for the G, F, M, NP and P proteins, respectively. No antigenic variations were found between the three bovine strains and the caprine strain. They did not react with the nine monoclonal antibodies against the G protein of subgroup B, nor did they react with nine monoclonal antibodies against subgroup A. Most but not all of the monoclonal antibodies against the other structural proteins of the two human RS virus subgroups reacted with the four strains. All 11 monoclonal antibodies against the F protein of subgroup B that could neutralize the infectivity of subgroup B also reacted with the bovine strains and neutralized their infectivity. It is concluded that although the bovine strains share many epitopes with the two human subgroups, they are antigenically distinct from the human viruses.

Immune and histopathological responses in animals vaccinated with recombinant vaccinia viruses that express individual genes of human respiratory syncytial virus

Journal of …, 1987

Previous reports have established that vaccinia virus (VV) recombinants expressing G, F, or N protein of respiratory syncytial (RS) virus protect small animals against intranasal challenge with live RS virus. This work demonstrates that a variety of parameters affect the protection induced by recombinant viruses. The route of vaccination, the subtype of challenge virus, and the species used influenced the antibody titers and extent of protection. During these studies, observations were also made on the subclass of antibody generated, and pulmonary histopathological changes induced by challenge after vaccination were noted. The effect of route of inoculation on host response was examined by vaccinating mice intranasally, intraperitoneally, or by scarification with a recombinant VV expressing the RS virus G glycoprotein. Intranasal vaccination induced 25-fold-higher titers of antibody to RS virus in the lung than the intraperitoneal route did, but both routes resulted in complete suppression of virus replication after intranasal challenge 21 days after vaccination. Scarification was a less effective method of vaccination. The antibody induced by recombinant VV in mice was mostly immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) with some IgG2b. No antibody to RS virus was detected in the IgA, IgM, IgGl, or IgG3 subclass irrespective of the vaccination route. The G and F glycoproteins were shown to elicit similar subclasses of antibody. However, animals vaccinated with the G and F vectors differed strikingly in their response to challenge by heterologous virus. Mice or cotton rats vaccinated with recombinant VV carrying the G gene of RS virus were protected against challenge only with homologous subtype A virus. Vaccination with a recombinant VV expressing the F glycoprotein induced protection against both homologous and heterologous subtype B virus challenge. The protection induced in mice was greater than that detected in cotton rats, indicating that the host may also affect immunity. Finally, this report describes histological examination of mouse lungs after vaccination and challenge. Vaccinated mice that were subsequently challenged had significantly greater lung lesion scores than unvaccinated challenged mice. The lesions were primarily peribronchiolar and perivascular infiltrations of polymorphonuclear cells and lymphocytes. Further work will establish whether these pulmonary changes are a desirable immune response to virus invasion or a potential immunopathogenic hazard. The results have important implications for planning a strategy of vaccination against RS virus and emphasize potential dangers that may attend the use of recombinant VV as vaccines.

The immunogenicity, protective efficacy and safety of BBG2Na, a subunit respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate, against RSV-B

Vaccine, 2003

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is divided into subgroups A and B, based primarily on variation within the G glycoprotein. A safe vaccine that protects against both would be the ideal. BBG2Na is a recombinant subunit RSV vaccine candidate derived in part from the G protein of RSV-A. Interestingly, BBG2Na formulated in alum protected against RSV-B challenge at early time points following vaccination in mice. Over 6 months, however, BBG2Na-induced immunogenicity and protective efficacy progressively diminished, such that few animals were considered protected at the end. To study the safety of BBG2Na relative to RSV-B challenge, we established a novel enhanced immunopathology mouse model. We confirmed that RSV-B challenge of formalin-inactivated RSV-A (FI-RSV-A)-immunized BALB/c mice results in enhanced pulmonary pathology. Therefore, this phenomenon is neither subgroup-specific nor dependent on a previously incriminated Th epitope in the RSV-A G protein. In stark contrast, BBG2Na did not induce any signs of enhanced pulmonary pathology. In conclusion, our data indicate that BBG2Na, formulated in alum, induces safe and protective immune responses against RSV-B challenge in mice. However, the duration of protective immunity will probably be insufficient to prevent RSV-B infection for the duration of the RSV epidemic season.

Recombinant Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) from cDNA and Construction of Subgroup A and B Chimeric RSV

Virology, 1998

Infectious human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was produced from a cDNA clone that contains 15,222 nucleotides of RSV genome derived from the A2 strain of subgroup A. Recovery of infectious RSV from cDNA required cotransfection of only three expression plasmids encoding the nucleoprotein (N), the phosphoprotein (P), and the major polymerase protein (L). Inclusion of the M2±1 plasmid was not required in the transfection reaction and if included did not significantly increase the rescue efficiency. However, a single nucleotide substitution in the RSV leader region (C to G at position 4 in the antigenomic sense), greatly increased the amount of infectious virus recovered from cDNA. A recombinant RSVA2 virus that expresses an additional structural G protein derived from a subgroup B RSV was also obtained. Both A2 and B strain G glycoproteins were expressed in cells infected with the chimeric RSV. A chimeric RSV that expresses a heterologous subgroup antigen in a live attenuated vaccine candidate may be important for prevention of diseases associated with both RSV subgroup A and subgroup B infection.

The respiratory syncytial virus G protein conserved domain induces a persistent and protective antibody response in rodents

PloS one, 2012

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of severe upper and lower respiratory disease in infants and in the elderly. There are 2 main RSV subtypes A and B. A recombinant vaccine was designed based on the central domain of the RSV-A attachment G protein which we had previously named G2Na (aa130-230). Here we evaluated immunogenicity, persistence of antibody (Ab) response and protective efficacy induced in rodents by: (i) G2Na fused to DT (Diphtheria toxin) fragments in cotton rats. DT fusion did not potentiate neutralizing Ab responses against RSV-A or cross-reactivity to RSV-B. (ii) G2Nb (aa130-230 of the RSV-B G protein) either fused to, or admixed with G2Na. G2Nb did not induce RSV-B-reactive Ab responses. (iii) G2Na at low doses. Two injections of 3 µg G2Na in Alum were sufficient to induce protective immune responses in mouse lungs, preventing RSV-A and greatly reducing RSV-B infections. In cotton rats, G2Na-induced RSV-reactive Ab and protective immunity against...

Induction of Protective Immunity in Rodents by Vaccination with a Prokaryotically Expressed Recombinant Fusion Protein Containing a Respiratory Syncytial Virus G Protein Fragment

Virology, 1997

A subunit approach to the development of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine was investigated. It involved the production, in Escherichia coli, of an RSV (Long) G protein fragment (G2Na) as a C-terminal fusion partner to an albumin binding region (BB) of streptococcal protein G. G2Na incorporated amino acid residues 130 -230 and was specifically recognized by murine anti-RSV-A polyclonal serum. In mice, intraperitoneal immunization with BBG2Na induced high anti-RSV-A serum ELISA titers and low to moderate neutralization activity. The immune response induced by BBG2Na demonstrated a potent protective efficacy against upper and lower respiratory tract RSV-A infection. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of BBG2Na was maintained for at least 47 and 48 weeks, respectively, and was as potent and durable as live RSV-A administered in a similar fashion. Intramuscular immunization of cotton rats with BBG2Na protected lungs from both homologous and heterologous virus challenge. In contrast to mice, however, cotton rat nasal tracts were not protected after BBG2Na immunization. Consistent with antibody-mediated protection, virus was cleared within 24 hr from the lungs of BBG2Na-immunized mice. The anti-RSV-A antibodies induced in mice were exclusively of the IgG1 isotype and were detected in the serum, lungs, and nasal tracts. Passive transfer of these antibodies prevented acute, and eliminated chronic, RSV-A lung infection in normal and immunodeficient mice, respectively, confirming that such antibodies are important and sufficient for BBG2Na-induced pulmonary protection. Our results clearly demonstrate that BBG2Na contains an important immunogenic domain of the RSV G protein. The prokaryotic origin of this protein indicates that glycosylation of the RSV G protein is not necessary for protective efficacy. Thus, BBG2Na has potential as an RSV subunit vaccine. ᭧ 1997 Academic Press et al., 1991); (5) residues 163-190 and 160-189 of sub-155