Overexpression of recombinant HIV-1 Subtype C Tat and Nef in a Salmonella vaccine vector

Tat and Nef are very important regulatory proteins of HIV-1. They enhance viral replication and down-regulate expression of MHC Class I molecules, respectively. The antigens are now considered to be targets for HIV vaccine development. The expression of Tat and Nef in Salmonella vaccines has not previously been investigated. In this study, HIV-1 Subtype C tat and nef genes were cloned into an expression plasmid and their expression investigated in Salmonella. Very high-level expression of the two HIV-1 antigens was demonstrated in the recombinant Salmonella. The antigens were also successfully purified in bulk from the bacterium. Salmonella can therefore potentially be used to overexpress HIV-1 antigens and used as a possible delivery system in HIV-1 vaccine development. © Nyasha Chin'ombe et al.