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Dengue virus-like particles mimic the antigenic properties of the infectious dengue virus envelope

Stefan W Metz1, Ashlie Thomas2, Laura White2

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. swmetz@med.unc.edu.

Virology Journal
|April 4, 2018
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Dengue virus-like particles (VLPs) display key antibody epitopes found on infectious dengue virus, making them suitable for diagnostics. VLPs offer a safe alternative to live virus for vaccine and diagnostic antigen development.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen causing severe hemorrhagic disease.
  • DENV particles feature envelope glycoproteins (prM and E) forming quaternary structure epitopes recognized by neutralizing antibodies.
  • DENV virus-like particles (VLPs) are replication-defective, smaller than virions, and their antigenic surface remains uncharacterized compared to infectious DENV.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the antigenic surface landscape of DENV VLPs with infectious DENV particles.
  • To evaluate the potential of DENV VLPs in serological diagnostics.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical analytics using a panel of well-characterized antibodies against DENV VLPs and virus particles.
  • DENV patient serum depletions using VLPs to assess diagnostic potential.

Main Results:

  • DENV VLPs, despite heterogeneity, efficiently display conformational and quaternary structure-dependent epitopes found on infectious DENV.
  • DENV VLPs effectively depleted serotype-specific antibodies from patient sera, demonstrating diagnostic utility.

Conclusions:

  • DENV VLPs present a comparable antigenic surface to infectious DENV, aiding understanding of the epitopic landscape.
  • DENV VLPs are proposed as a safe and practical alternative to infectious virus for vaccine and diagnostic applications.
Keywords:
Dengue virusEpitopesSerum depletionsVLP

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