Chimeric hepatitis A virus particles presenting a foreign epitope (HIV gp41) at their surface

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) protein 2A has been demonstrated to be involved in virus morphogenesis and suggested to be located on the surface of the particle. To determine whether this protein can function as a target structure to harbor and expose foreign epitopes on HAV particles, a full-length HAV cDNA, containing a seven amino acid stretch of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope protein gp41, was constructed. Following vaccinia virus MVA-T7-mediated expression of the cDNA in COS7 and Huh-T7 cells, chimeric HAV particles, exposing the foreign epitope gp41 on their surface, were produced. These particles were found to be empty capsids (70S), as judged by immunospecific enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on sucrose gradient fractions and immunoelectron microscopy. The immunological detection of VP1-2A harboring the gp41 epitope of HIV suggests that the 2A domain of HAV is suitable to present foreign antigenic epitopes.