Engineering of Chimeric Protein Based on E Protein Domain III of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and OmpF Porin of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

Tick-borne encephalitis poses a serious public health threat in the endemic regions. The disease treatment is restricted to symptomatic therapy, so great expectations are in the development of the prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. The domain III of E protein of the tick-borne encephalitis virus is the main antigenic domain which includes virus-specific epitopes recognized by neutralizing antibodies. We have expressed, isolated and characterized the chimeric protein based on the fusion of domain III of E protein of the tick-borne encephalitis virus and bacterial porin OmpF from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The bacterial partner protein was used for decreasing toxicity and increasing immunogenicity of antigen. The chimeric protein was successfully expressed by the E. coli cells and purified using IMAC methodology. The purified protein was recognized with immunoblots by anti-E protein of tick-borne encephalitis virus monoclonal antibodies. Furthermore, the protein was able to elicit antibody response against domain III of E protein in immunized mice. The newly obtained chimeric antigen could be valuable for the development of the preventing tick-borne encephalitis subunit vaccines.