Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) has caused great public concerns due to its recent large outbreaks and a close association with microcephaly in fetus and Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. Rapid development of vaccines against ZIKV is a public health priority. To this end, we have constructed and purified recombinant ZIKV envelope protein using both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems, and then tested their immunogenicity and protective efficacy in immune competent mice. Both protein immunogens elicited humoral and cellular immune responses, and protected immune competent mice from ZIKV challenge in vivo. These products could be further evaluated either as stand-alone vaccine candidate, or used in a prime-and-boost regimen with other forms of ZIKV vaccine.
Highlights
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that belongs to the Flaviviridae family
ZIKV infection experiments were performed in biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) and animal biosafety level-2 (ABSL-2) containments with the approval of Institutional Biosafety Committee at Institut Pasteur of Shanghai (IPS)
The envelope protein located on the surface of mature flaviviruses is the principal target for neutralizing antibodies [35]
Summary
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that belongs to the Flaviviridae family. It contains a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome [1]. ZIKV was first isolated from a rhesus macaque in 1947, but it has caused very few human infections for six decades. The unusual properties of sexual and vertical transmission, and prolonged presence of infectious virus or viral RNA in a variety of body fluids including tears, saliva, urine and semen, further complicated the prevention and control of ZIKV infection [8,9,10,11,12,13]. The underlying mechanisms of rapid dissemination of ZIKV in certain countries and regions are still being investigated [14], it has been speculated that ZIKV might pose a long-term international threat that requires substantial attention [15], including the rapid development of a preventative vaccine
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