Immunogenicity and Antigenicity of the Recombinant Ectodomain of Rabies Virus Glycoprotein Containing the Human Collagen XVIII Trimerization Domain.

ABSTRACT: Background: Rabies remains a fatal zoonotic disease, necessitating effective and affordable vaccines. While current vaccines are effective, they require multiple doses and may not induce long-lasting immunity in all settings. The rabies virus glycoprotein (RABV-G) is the principal antigen responsible for eliciting virus-neutralizing antibodies, but its recombinant monomeric forms often suffer from poor immunogenicity due to misfolding and aggregation. Methods: A recombinant trimeric RABV-G ectodomain (rRABV-G-XVIII) was engineered by fusing it to a human collagen XVIII-derived trimerization domain. The protein was expressed in E. coli, purified under denaturing conditions, and refolded. Trimer formation was verified using size-exclusion chromatography. Mice were immuni

SUBMITTER: Smekenov I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12474313 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature