MODIFIED TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS PARTICLES AS SCAFFOLDS FOR DISPLAY OF PROTEIN ANTIGENS FOR VACCINE APPLICATIONS

摘要

Compositions and methods to utilize coat proteins of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a scaffold with commonly available linker chemistries and surface antigens to enhance immune responses when used as a vaccination; randomized library to introduce a reactive lysine or cysteine residue externally located at the amino-terminus of the coat protein. TMV coat protein modification allows a controlled stoichiometric biotinylation of the Introduced lysine or cysteine residues further allowing the attachment of antigens using streptavidin as a linker to the biotinylated coat protein. A TMV-protein complex vaccine prepared utilizing this invention results in enhanced immunogenicity and a detectable humoral immune response after only a single immunization in mice.