Fusion of the molecular adjuvant C3d to cleavage-independent native-like HIV-1 Env trimers improves the elicited antibody response.

ABSTRACT: An effective HIV vaccine likely requires the elicitation of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against multiple HIV-1 clades. The recently developed cleavage-independent native flexibly linked (NFL) envelope (Env) trimers exhibit well-ordered conformation and elicit autologous tier 2 NAbs in multiple animal models. Here, we investigated whether the fusion of molecular adjuvant C3d to the Env trimers can improve B- cell germinal center (GC) formation and antibody responses. To generate Env-C3d trimers, we performed a glycine-serine- based (G₄S) flexible peptide linker screening and identified a linker range that allowed native folding. A 30-60- amino- acid- long linker facilitates Env-to-C3d association and achieves the secretion of well-ordered trimers and the structural integrity a

SUBMITTER: Bale S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10239957 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature