An assessment of the use of Hepatitis B Virus core protein virus-like particles to display heterologous antigens from Neisseria meningitidis.

ABSTRACT: Neisseria meningitidis is the causative agent of meningococcal meningitis and sepsis and remains a significant public health problem in many countries. Efforts to develop a comprehensive vaccine against serogroup B meningococci have focused on the use of surface-exposed outer membrane proteins. Here we report the use of virus-like particles derived from the core protein of Hepatitis B Virus, HBc, to incorporate antigen domains derived from Factor H binding protein (FHbp) and the adhesin NadA. The extracellular domain of NadA was inserted into the major immunodominant region of HBc, and the C-terminal domain of FHbp at the C-terminus (CFHbp), creating a single polypeptide chain 3.7-fold larger than native HBc. Remarkably, cryoelectron microscopy revealed that the construct formed assemblies

SUBMITTER: Aston-Deaville S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7113836 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature