g(m1)-ganglioside and Influenza--Human

Avian Influenza, the most studied virus, is of high concern due to its zoonotic pandemic potential. In recent years, several influenza vaccines have been used with the broad goal of managing and in certain cases, eliminating the disease. The matrix 2 extracellular domain (M2e), is one of the key targets of the universal influenza vaccine, a liner peptide that is conserved throughout all influenza A subtypes virus. Many recombinant influenza proteins have been expressed in yeast and plants for vaccine development. A remarkable development has been made in the field of biotechnology to explore the potential of microalga as an expression host. In this study, we designed a fusion gene code for M2e peptide and CTB protein as M2e's natural form has a low level of immunogenicity. The fusion gene was cloned in the Chloroplast transformation vector pSRSapI and expressed in the TN72 mutant strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardii. The expression of the targeted protein was confirmed by ECL western blot analysis. A GM1-ELISA was carried out to detect the affinity of fusion protein for GM1 monosialoganglioside and the significant P-value is lower than 0.05. Immunogenicity assay on chicken detected the anti-M2e bodies in chicken serum. This study gives evidence of therapeutic protein production through algae chloroplast and a stable, selection free and low cost oral delivery for universal vaccine against influenza A virus.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Viral; G(M1) Ganglioside; Humans; Influenza A virus; Influenza Vaccines; Influenza, Human; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Peptides; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Recombinant Proteins; Vaccines, Edible

Viruses, such as influenza A, typically bind to the plasma membrane of their host by engaging multiple membrane receptors in parallel, thereby forming so-called multivalent interactions that are created by the collective action of multiple weak ligand-receptor bonds. The overall interaction strength can be modulated by changing the number of engaged receptors. This feature is used by viruses to achieve a sufficiently firm attachment to the host's plasma membrane but also allows progeny viruses to leave the plasma membrane after completing the virus replication cycle. Design of strategies to prevent infection, for example, by disturbing these attachment and detachment processes upon application of antivirals, requires quantification of the underlying multivalent interaction in absence and presence of antivirals. This is still an unresolved problem, as there is currently no approach available that allows for determining the valency (i.e., of the number of receptors bound to a particular virus) on the level of single viruses under equilibrium conditions. Herein, we track the motion of single influenza A/X31 viruses (IAVs; interacting with the ganglioside GD1a incorporated in a supported lipid bilayer) using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and show that IAV residence time distributions can be deconvoluted from valency effects by taking the IAV mobility into account. The so-derived off-rate distributions, expressed in dependence of an average, apparent valency, show the expected decrease in off-rate with increasing valency but also show an unexpected peak structure, which can be linked to a competition in the opposing functionalities of the two influenza A virus spike proteins, hemagglutinin (HA), and neuraminidase (NA). By application of the antiviral zanamivir that inhibits the activity of NA, we provide direct evidence, how the HA/NA balance modulates this virus-receptor interaction, allowing us to assess the inhibition concentration of zanamivir based on its effect on the multivalent interaction.

Topics: Cell Membrane; G(M1) Ganglioside; Hemagglutinins; Humans; Influenza A virus; Influenza, Human; Lipid Bilayers; Neuraminidase; Receptors, Virus; Zanamivir

Influenza virus infection in mice may be either stimulated or partially prevented by certain gangliosides, depending on the experimental conditions employed. When injected prior to virus infection gangliosides increased the mortality rate, whereas preincubation with the virus before infection had a protecting effect. Hybrid mice resistant to influenza virus became highly susceptible to infection after injection of a specific ganglioside whereas the corresponding antiganglioside antiserum protected virus-susceptible mice against infection by the virus. These results are discussed in the light of earlier findings that various gangliosides enhance non-specific binding of influenza virus, whereas gangliosides of the GT1b and GD1b type are able to act as specific virus receptors and to promote virus penetration.

Topics: Animals; Brain Chemistry; Disease Susceptibility; G(M1) Ganglioside; Gangliosides; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Influenza A virus; Influenza, Human; Lung; Mice; Mice, Inbred CBA; Species Specificity