A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice

Laura Lazo; Monica Bequet-Romero; Gilda Lemos; Alexis Musacchio; Ania Cabrales; Andy J. Bruno; Luis Ariel Espinosa; Markku Saloheimo; Marika Vitikainen; Amalia Hernández; Mark Emalfarb; Ronen Tchelet; Edith Suzarte; Gerardo Guillén

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007

A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice

Laura Lazo (Corresponding Author), Monica Bequet-Romero, Gilda Lemos, Alexis Musacchio, Ania Cabrales, Andy J. Bruno, Luis Ariel Espinosa, Markku Saloheimo, Marika Vitikainen, Amalia Hernández, Mark Emalfarb, Ronen Tchelet, Edith Suzarte, Gerardo Guillén

BA5312 Protein production B

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of effective vaccines against this pathogen has been a priority for the scientific community. Several strategies have been developed including vaccines based on recombinant viral protein fragments. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the S1 subunit of S protein has been considered one of the main targets of neutralizing antibodies. In this study we assess the potential of a vaccine formulation based on the recombinant RBD domain of SARS-CoV-2 expressed in the thermophilic filamentous fungal strain Thermothelomyces heterothallica and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein. Functional humoral and cellular immune responses were detected in mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the immune evaluation of a biomedical product obtained in the fungal strain T. heterothallica. These results together with the intrinsic advantages of this expression platform support its use for the development of biotechnology products for medical purpose.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1162-1169
Number of pages	8
Journal	Vaccine
Volume	40
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007
Publication status	Published - 16 Feb 2022
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

C1
COVID
Immunogenicity
Protein
SARS CoV-2
Vaccine

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007

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Lazo, L., Bequet-Romero, M., Lemos, G., Musacchio, A., Cabrales, A., Bruno, A. J., Ariel Espinosa, L., Saloheimo, M., Vitikainen, M., Hernández, A., Emalfarb, M., Tchelet, R., Suzarte, E., & Guillén, G. (2022). A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice. Vaccine, 40(8), 1162-1169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007

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title = "A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice",

abstract = "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of effective vaccines against this pathogen has been a priority for the scientific community. Several strategies have been developed including vaccines based on recombinant viral protein fragments. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the S1 subunit of S protein has been considered one of the main targets of neutralizing antibodies. In this study we assess the potential of a vaccine formulation based on the recombinant RBD domain of SARS-CoV-2 expressed in the thermophilic filamentous fungal strain Thermothelomyces heterothallica and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein. Functional humoral and cellular immune responses were detected in mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the immune evaluation of a biomedical product obtained in the fungal strain T. heterothallica. These results together with the intrinsic advantages of this expression platform support its use for the development of biotechnology products for medical purpose.",

keywords = "C1, COVID, Immunogenicity, Protein, SARS CoV-2, Vaccine",

author = "Laura Lazo and Monica Bequet-Romero and Gilda Lemos and Alexis Musacchio and Ania Cabrales and Bruno, {Andy J.} and {Ariel Espinosa}, Luis and Markku Saloheimo and Marika Vitikainen and Amalia Hern{\'a}ndez and Mark Emalfarb and Ronen Tchelet and Edith Suzarte and Gerardo Guill{\'e}n",

note = "Funding Information: The authors especially thank researchers Dionne Casillas-Casanova, Ailyn de la Caridad Ram{\'o}n S{\'a}nchez, as well as the Civilian Defense Scientific Research Center, for their contribution in the microneutralization assays. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",

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day = "16",

doi = "10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007",

language = "English",

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Lazo, L, Bequet-Romero, M, Lemos, G, Musacchio, A, Cabrales, A, Bruno, AJ, Ariel Espinosa, L, Saloheimo, M , Vitikainen, M, Hernández, A, Emalfarb, M, Tchelet, R, Suzarte, E & Guillén, G 2022, 'A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice', Vaccine, vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 1162-1169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007

A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice. / Lazo, Laura (Corresponding Author); Bequet-Romero, Monica; Lemos, Gilda et al.

In: Vaccine, Vol. 40, No. 8, 16.02.2022, p. 1162-1169.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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AU - Musacchio, Alexis

AU - Cabrales, Ania

AU - Bruno, Andy J.

AU - Ariel Espinosa, Luis

AU - Saloheimo, Markku

AU - Vitikainen, Marika

AU - Hernández, Amalia

AU - Emalfarb, Mark

AU - Tchelet, Ronen

AU - Suzarte, Edith

AU - Guillén, Gerardo

N1 - Funding Information: The authors especially thank researchers Dionne Casillas-Casanova, Ailyn de la Caridad Ramón Sánchez, as well as the Civilian Defense Scientific Research Center, for their contribution in the microneutralization assays. Publisher Copyright: © 2022

PY - 2022/2/16

Y1 - 2022/2/16

N2 - Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of effective vaccines against this pathogen has been a priority for the scientific community. Several strategies have been developed including vaccines based on recombinant viral protein fragments. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the S1 subunit of S protein has been considered one of the main targets of neutralizing antibodies. In this study we assess the potential of a vaccine formulation based on the recombinant RBD domain of SARS-CoV-2 expressed in the thermophilic filamentous fungal strain Thermothelomyces heterothallica and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein. Functional humoral and cellular immune responses were detected in mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the immune evaluation of a biomedical product obtained in the fungal strain T. heterothallica. These results together with the intrinsic advantages of this expression platform support its use for the development of biotechnology products for medical purpose.

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KW - Immunogenicity

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DO - 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007

M3 - Article

C2 - 35078661

AN - SCOPUS:85123250128

SN - 0264-410X

VL - 40

SP - 1162

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JO - Vaccine

JF - Vaccine

IS - 8

ER -

A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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