Enhanced prokaryotic expression of dengue virus envelope protein.

Purpose: To highlight the expression and purification of the recombinant dengue virus type-1 antigen exploiting the codon optimized full length envelope for increased yield in E. coli.

Methods: A 6x His tag was inserted at the C terminus to facilitate purification. The purified protein was recognized in Western blot by Monoclonal antibody specific for the tag. The in vitro refolded recombinant protein was used to immunize mice for the development of hybridomas and also analyzed for its biological functionality with heparan sulfate binding assay.

Results: The polyclonal anti-sera from the immunized mice were found to recognize the envelope protein thereby establishing the immunogenicity of the protein.

Conclusion: The purified envelope protein could potentially be used towards dengue diagnostics and vaccine development efforts. This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see "For Readers") may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue's contents page.