The emergence of the new highly pathogenic human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that has already infected more than 80 million persons, killing nearly two million of them, clearly indicates the need to design efficient and safe vaccines protecting from these coronaviruses. Modern vaccines can be derived from virus-host interaction research directed to the identification of signaling pathways essential for virus replication and for virus-induced pathogenesis, in order to learn how to attenuate these viruses and design vaccines. ABSTRACT There are no approved vaccines against the life-threatening Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Attenuated vaccines have proven their potential to induce strong and long-lasting immune responses. We have previously described that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) envelope (E) protein is a virulence factor. Based on this knowledge, a collection of mutants carrying partial deletions spanning the C-terminal domain of the E protein (rMERS-CoV-E*) has been generated using a reverse genetics system. One of these mutants, MERS-CoV-E*Δ2in, was attenuated and provided full protection in a challenge with virulent MERS-CoV after a single immunization dose. The MERS-CoV-E*Δ2in mutant was stable as it maintained its attenuation after 16 passages in cell cultures and has been selected as a promising vaccine candidate.
【저자키워드】 coronavirus, Vaccines, MERS-CoV, genome engineering, 【초록키워드】 Coronaviruses, Vaccine, Pathogenesis, SARS-CoV, knowledge, virus, coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, immunization, genetics, E protein, Protein, immune responses, Cell culture, Research, Deletion, vaccine candidate, virus replication, mutants, signaling pathway, mutant, virulence, Interaction, C-terminal domain, dose, attenuated vaccine, Safe, Middle East, acute respiratory syndrome, life-threatening, passage, respiratory syndrome coronavirus, virulent, highly pathogenic, killing, selected, described, approved, provided, indicate, long-lasting, induce, attenuate, 【제목키워드】 protection, respiratory, Middle East, lethal,