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54 kD, does ORF2 participate in the VLP formation. 6,7 In this chapter,
investigation of HEV-VLP could be carried a molecule for foreign antigenic
epitopes and to stimulate mucosal immunity without the need for adjuvant.
Chimerization of VLP
Chimerization of VLP is a unique and useful method for studying
morphology, assembly and host recognition of a virus. However,
there are not many reports about chimeric VLP in the fields of virol-
ogy and immunology. Moreover, the induction of immune responses
through natural infectious route against not only VLPs but also car-
rying epitopes is limited. 8-12 Some chimeric plant virus particles car-
rying foreign epitopes have been reported. 13 These chimeric virus
particles are replication-competent and elicit immune responses
through mucosal immunization. These particles were derived by for-
eign epitope insertion in a cDNA of a virus. Chimeric VLPs obtained
by the same method have also been reported. 8-11 Successful
chimerization is dependent on selection of an appropriate insertion
site in VLPs. Another system for chimerization of VLP is co-infection
of a couple of baculoviruses in the same cells, which allows VLPs to
be obtained as chimeric VLPs. 12 This method is an easy way to obtain
the chimeric VLP, although the stability of molecular constructs and
the characteristics of morphology to original virus are not promised.
Chimeric VLPs obtained by foreign-molecule insertion are suitable
for studying morphogenesis of viruses and host recognition to both
VLPs and inserted molecules.
HEV-VLP
Hepatitis E is an acute viral hepatitis caused by infection with HEV
that was first recognized in India 1955. The HEV has been isolated
from various animals, suggesting that hepatitis E is a zoonosis. 14,15
Although an in vitro culture system to amplify HEV has not been
developed, over-expression of a part of ORF2 in a baculovirus expres-
sion system allows this protein to assemble into a VLP. 6 Formation of
this VLP occurs only when N-terminal of ORF2 — where potential
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