Production of Influenza Virus Proteins Using Recombinant Insect Cells

Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, 1–1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657–8501, Japan

^* Corresponding author: yamaji@kobe-u.ac.jp

Abstract

Influenza vaccines have long been manufactured in embryonated chicken eggs. This method has some problems such as a long production period (about 6 months) and use of large amounts of infectious pathogens. Recently, the production of recombinant subunit vaccines using the baculovirus–insect cell system has been extensively investigated. In this system, viral immunodominant components can be produced more rapidly and in a larger scale than in the conventional egg-based process. However, continuous production is virtually impossible because infection of recombinant baculovirus results in the death of host insect cells. In the present study, we established stably transformed insect cells that secreted influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) consisting of hemagglutinin (HA), the major protective antigen of influenza A virus, and matrix protein 1 (M1), another structural protein of the virus. Hemagglutination assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggested that HA produced by recombinant insect cells kept the hemagglutination activity and the morphology of the VLPs was similar to that of wild type influenza virus particles.