Identification of potent epitopes on hexon capsid protein and their evaluation as vaccine candidates against infections caused by members of Adenoviridae family. Issue 27 (16th June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tufail, Soban; Shah, Majid Ali; Zafar, Maryam; Asif, Tayyab Ali; Shehzad, Aamir; Shah, Muhammad Salahuddin; Habib, Mudasser; Saleemi, Muhammad Kashif; Muddassar, Muhammad; Mirza, Osman; Iqbal, Mazhar; Rahman, Moazur
• Is Part Of: Vaccine. Volume 39:Issue 27(2021)
• Page Start: 3560
• Page End: 3564
• Publication Date: 2021-06-16
• Subjects: Adenoviridae family -- Hexon -- Epitope -- Virus-like particle -- Vaccine -- Hydropericardium syndrome; ELISA Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay -- FAdV-4 Fowl adenovirus of serotype 4 -- GndCl Guanidinium chloride -- HBc Core protein of hepatitis B virus -- HPS Hydropericardium syndrome -- MHC Major histocompatibility complex -- MIR Major immunodominant region -- PBS Phosphate buffer saline -- VLP Virus-like particle; Vaccines -- Periodicals; 615.372
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.05.023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-410X

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Identification of a potent epitopic region on hexon proteins of adenoviruses. The epitopic region generates a strong immune response in fusion with HBc. The HBc-fused epitope confers 90% protection against FAdV-4 in chickens. The epitopic region could be used as a VLP vaccine against adenoviral infections. Abstract: Adenoviruses cause economically important diseases in vertebrates. Effective vaccines against adenoviral diseases are currently lacking. Here, we report a highly conserved epitopic region on hexon proteins of adenoviruses that generate a strong immune response when used as a virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccine, produced by inserting the epitopic region into the core protein of hepatitis B virus. For evaluation of its protective efficacy, the epitopic region from a representative adenovirus, fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4), was tested as a VLP vaccine which conferred 90% protection against challenge with a virulent FAdV-4 isolate in chickens. Importantly, such a high level of protection is not achieved when the epitopic region is employed as a part of a subunit vaccine. As the sequence and the structure of the epitopic region are highly conserved in hexon proteins of adenoviruses, the epitopic region could be employed as a promising VLP vaccine candidate against adenoviral diseases, in general.