A "Plug-And-Display" Nanoparticle Vaccine Platform Based on Outer Membrane Vesicles Displaying SARS-CoV-2 Receptor-Binding Domain

Biomimetic nanoparticles obtained from bacteria or viruses have attracted substantial interest in vaccine research and development. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are mainly secreted by gram-negative bacteria during average growth, with a nano-sized diameter and self-adjuvant activity, which may be ideal for vaccine delivery. OMVs have functioned as a multifaceted delivery system for proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules. To take full advantage of the biological characteristics of OMVs, bioengineered Escherichia coli-derived OMVs were utilized as a carrier and SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) as an antigen to construct a "Plug-and-Display" vaccine platform. The SpyCatcher (SC) and SpyTag (ST) domains in Streptococcus pyogenes were applied to conjugate OMVs and RBD. The Cytolysin A (ClyA) gene was translated with the SC gene as a fusion protein after plasmid transfection, leaving a reactive site on the surface of the OMVs. After mixing RBD-ST in a conventional buffer system overnight, covalent binding was formed between the OMVs and RBD. Thus, a multivalent-displaying OMV vaccine was achieved. By replacing with diverse antigens, the OMVs vaccine platform can efficiently display a variety of heterogeneous antigens, thereby potentially rapidly preventing infectious disease epidemics. This protocol describes a precise method for constructing the OMV vaccine platform, including production, purification, bioconjugation, and characterization.