The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) G Protein Enhances the Immune Responses to the RSV F Protein in an Enveloped Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Candidate

2023/01/05 by Lori McGinnes Cullen, Lori M. Cullen, Bin Luo +5 · 26 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Medicine · #Animal Virus Infections Studies #Biology #Gene #Genetics #Immune system #Immunology #Recombinant DNA #Respiratory viral infections research #Viral envelope #Virology #Virology and Viral Diseases #Virus #Virus-like particle

paper · open access · doi:10.1128/jvi.01900-22

published in Journal of Virology 97(1), e0190022 (American Society for Microbiology)

openalex publication_date 2023/01/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) results in significant disease in infants, young children, and the elderly. Thus, development of an effective vaccine for these populations is a priority. Most ongoing efforts in RSV vaccine development have focused on the viral fusion (F) protein; however, the importance of the inclusion of G in vaccine candidates is unclear. Here, using virus-like particles (VLPs) assembled with only the F protein, only the G protein, or both glycoproteins, we show that VLPs assembled with both glycoproteins are a far superior vaccine in a cotton rat model compared with VLPs containing only F protein or only G protein. The results show that the presence of G protein in the VLPs influences the conformation of the F protein and the immune responses to F protein, resulting in significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers and better protection from RSV challenge. These results suggest that inclusion of G protein in a vaccine candidate may improve its effectiveness.

Citations

• CX3CR1 is an important surface molecule for respiratory syncytial virus infection in human airway epithelial cells

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• Experimental trials of predicted CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell epitopes of respiratory syncytial virus. [europepmc]
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• Global progress in clinical research on human respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. [europepmc]
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• Protective efficacy of a recombinant adenovirus expressing novel dual F and HN proteins of bovine parainfluenza virus type 3. [europepmc]
• Prokaryote- and Eukaryote-Based Expression Systems: Advances in Post-Pandemic Viral Antigen Production for Vaccines. [europepmc]
• A bivalent mRNA vaccine against RSV infection in rodent models. [europepmc]
• Passive Immunization in the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Infections. [europepmc]
• Virus-like particles containing the extracellular domain of G protein in combination with a CTL peptide of M2 elicit protection against respiratory syncytial virus infection without pulmonary disease. [europepmc]

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