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An Env-derived multi-epitope HIV chimeric protein produced in the moss Physcomitrella patens is immunogenic in mice

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The first report on the recombinant production of a candidate vaccine in the moss system.

Abstract

The need for economical and efficient platforms for vaccine production demands the exploration of emerging host organisms. In this study, the production of an antigenic protein is reported employing the moss Physcomitrella patens as an expression host. A multi-epitope protein from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) based on epitopes from gp120 and gp41 was designed as a candidate subunit vaccine and named poly-HIV. Transgenic moss plants were generated carrying the corresponding poly-HIV transgene under a novel moss promoter and subsequently seven positive lines were confirmed by PCR. The poly-HIV protein accumulated up to 3.7 µg g−1 fresh weight in protonema cultures. Antigenic and immunogenic properties of the moss-produced recombinant poly-HIV are evidenced by Western blots and by mice immunization assays. The elicitation of specific antibodies in mice was observed, reflecting the immunogenic potential of this moss-derived HIV antigen. This is the first report on the production of a potential vaccine in the moss system and opens the avenue for glycoengineering approaches for the production of HIV human-like glycosylated antigens as well as other vaccine prototypes under GMP conditions in moss bioreactors.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments (EXC294 to R.R.). L.O.-E and S.R.-M received DAAD fellowships to conduct part of this project. We are grateful to Anne Katrin Prowse for proofreading of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Biofarmacéuticos Recombinantes, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Dr. Manuel Nava 6, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico

    Lucía Orellana-Escobedo, Sergio Rosales-Mendoza, Andrea Romero-Maldonado & Elizabeth Monreal-Escalante

  2. Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Juliana Parsons, Eva L. Decker & Ralf Reski

  3. Inmunidad en Mucosas, UBIMED, FES-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida de los Barrios 1, 54090, Tlalnepantla, Mexico

    Leticia Moreno-Fierros

  4. BIOSS, Centre for Biological Signalling Research, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Ralf Reski

  5. FRIAS, Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Ralf Reski

Authors
  1. Lucía Orellana-Escobedo
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  2. Sergio Rosales-Mendoza
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  3. Andrea Romero-Maldonado
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  4. Juliana Parsons
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  5. Eva L. Decker
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  6. Elizabeth Monreal-Escalante
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  7. Leticia Moreno-Fierros
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  8. Ralf Reski
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Correspondence to Ralf Reski.

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Communicated by Stefan Schillberg.

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Orellana-Escobedo, L., Rosales-Mendoza, S., Romero-Maldonado, A. et al. An Env-derived multi-epitope HIV chimeric protein produced in the moss Physcomitrella patens is immunogenic in mice. Plant Cell Rep 34, 425–433 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-014-1720-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-014-1720-6

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