Inactivation of Zika Virus by Photoactive Iodonaphthyl Azide Preserves Immunogenic Potential of the Virus

Amy L Austin; Bianca Galasso; Caitlin Nickens; Barbara Knollmann-Ritschel; Anuj Sharma

doi:10.3390/pathogens8040188

Inactivation of Zika Virus by Photoactive Iodonaphthyl Azide Preserves Immunogenic Potential of the Virus

Pathogens. 2019 Oct 12;8(4):188. doi: 10.3390/pathogens8040188.

Authors

Amy L Austin¹, Bianca Galasso², Caitlin Nickens³, Barbara Knollmann-Ritschel⁴, Anuj Sharma⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20853, USA. amy.l.austin20.mil@mail.mil.
² Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20853, USA. bianca.galasso.ctr@usuhs.edu.
³ Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20853, USA. caitlin.m.nickens.mil@mail.mil.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20853, USA. barbara.knollmann-ritschel@usuhs.edu.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20853, USA. anuj.sharma.ctr@usuhs.edu.

Abstract

Zika virus's (ZIKV) emergence as a pathogen of significant public health importance has accelerated efforts to develop a ZIKV vaccine. To date, the need for an effective ZIKV vaccine is unmet. In this study, we report inactivation of ZIKV using a hydrophobic photoactive compound: 1, 5 iodonaphthyl azide (INA). 50 and 100 µM of INA completely inactivated ZIKV (INA-ZIKV). Western blot and ELISA analysis show some loss of the binding capacity of INA-iZIKV to anti-ZIKV monoclonal antibodies; however, immunization of mice with INA-iZIKV demonstrated seroconversion and ZIKV-neutralizing antibody response. RNA isolated from INA-iZIKV did not induce productive infection in Vero cells, suggesting inactivation of ZIKV RNA. These results suggest that in the absence of an approved ZIKV vaccine, INA-iZIKV can be pursued as a viable ZIKV vaccine candidate.

Keywords: Zika virus; immunization; inactivation; iodonaphthyl azide; vaccine.