基于rV270抗原的鼠疫多孔微球疫苗的制备及其免疫保护作用评价

目的：评价生物可降解高分子材料多孔微球作为鼠疫亚单位疫苗佐剂的可行性。方法：制备可生物降解的高分子材料多孔微球,将rV270抗原蛋白吸附到多孔微球中制备微球疫苗,肌肉注射免疫BALB/c小鼠,初次免疫后21d加强免疫1次,于初次免疫后第10周用600LD50鼠疫耶尔森氏菌攻毒,攻毒后观察14d。结果：攻毒后,微球疫苗免疫的小鼠全部存活,且健康状况良好,对照组小鼠几乎全部死亡。结论：生物可降解多孔微球可作为免疫佐剂用于鼠疫亚单位疫苗研制。     

鼠疫耶尔森氏菌rV270抗原的克隆、表达及其免疫保护作用评价

目的：为研制鼠疫亚单位疫苗,克隆、表达并纯化去除产生免疫抑制作用序列后的鼠疫耶尔森氏菌LcrV抗原（rV270）。方法：依据已知的LcrV的核苷酸序列,避开其产生免疫抑制作用的区段设计引物,扩增rV270基因并克隆到pET24a载体中,在大肠杆菌BL21中表达His-rV270融合蛋白：表达产物先后经Co^2＋亲和层析和Sephacryl S-200HR凝胶柱纯化,并在纯化过程中应用凝血酶切除His标塔;氢氧化铝佐剂吸附重组抗原后免疫BALB／c小鼠,初次免疫后第21天加强免疫1次,第5周使用104CFU鼠疫菌141强毒株攻毒,测定其免疫保护作用。结果：rV270以可溶性方式表达;应用Co^2＋亲和层析柱和Sephacryl S-200HR凝胶柱结合凝血蛋白酶切除His标签的方法可得到不含标签的较高纯度的重组蛋白;攻毒实验中实验组小鼠全部存活,而对照组全部死亡。结论：获得了具有良好免疫保护作用的rV270蛋白,可用于鼠疫亚单位疫苗的研究。     

ELISPOT方法检测SIVmac239感染猴特异性细胞免疫水平

目的为了完善现有的SIV／恒河猴模型,掌握恒河猴被SIV感染后体内细胞免疫应答状态,为评价HIV疫苗提供方法和数据上的参考,我们测定了SIV感染猴体内病毒特异性的细胞免疫水平。方法实验前选出4只无SIV、sTLV、SRV／D和B病毒感染的恒河猴,用SIVmac239病毒液静脉感染实验猴,使用RT-PCR、流氏细胞术和ELISPOT等方法,监测SIVmac239病毒在恒河猴体内复制情况、感染猴的外周免疫损伤情况和细胞免疫情况,持续测定一年。结果实验结果显示IFN-γ ELISPOT方法能有效的评估实验猴的细胞免疫情况,IFN—YELISPOT结果和CD4＋T细胞数无相关性,与血浆病毒载量稍有相关。结论本实验明确了SIVmac239感染中国恒河猴体内CTL的基本趋势和范围,了解了外周血病毒载量、外周免疫损伤与细胞免疫状况之间的联系,完善了SIV／SAIDS模型评价指标,为使用此模型评价抗病毒药物或疫苗提供了基础条件。     

SHIV-KB9感染中国恒河猴动物模型的建立

目的为了进一步确证SHIV-KB9感染中国恒河猴的病毒浓度范围,测试动物对病毒的适应性,明确该动物模型的可重复性。方法实验前采集猴血清并进行血清学检查。选出4只无SIV、STLV、SRV/D和B病毒感染的恒河猴,分别用10倍系列稀释的病毒液静脉感染实验猴,使用流氏细胞术、血常规、病毒分离、DNA-PCR和RT-PCR等方法确定实验猴是否被感染,以及感染后恒河猴体内病毒复制和免疫细胞损伤情况。结果实验猴的血浆病毒载量、病毒分离结果、CD4＋/CD8＋比值和CD4＋T细胞数等证实,4.8×105 copies/mL以上浓度的SHIV-KB9病毒液能成功感染中国恒河猴。结论本研究进一步明确了SHIV-KB9感染中国恒河猴的有效病毒浓度范围,确定了SHIV-KB9病毒感染中国恒河猴的病毒学、免疫学的测定指标,成功的建立了SHIV-KB9/中国恒河猴动物模型。     

鼠疫耶尔森菌rV抗原单抗系统及其ELISA检测方法的建立

目的建立ELISA双抗体夹心法,测定重组毒力因子rV抗原含量。方法采用杂交瘤技术,制备鼠疫菌rV抗原的鼠单克隆抗体,对抗原表位和单抗特异性进行分析及鉴定,建立ELISA双抗体夹心法,并验证方法的专属性、准确性、精密度和线性范围。结果成功组建了鼠疫菌rV抗原诊断试剂,灵敏度最低检测值为10 ng/mL。结论该方法可用于免疫学检测鼠疫组分疫苗原液rV抗原含量及制备过程中抗原活性,是鼠疫组分疫苗制备中一种重要的质量控制手段,也为进一步开发鼠疫诊断试剂盒及其他相关研究奠定了基础。     

Genetic characterization of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Nepal

Indian-origin rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) have long served as an animal model for the study of human disease and behavior. Given the current shortage of Indian-origin rhesus, many researchers have turned to rhesus macaques from China as a substitute. However, a number of studies have identified marked genetic differences between the Chinese and Indian animals. We investigated the genetic characteristics of a third rhesus population, the rhesus macaques of Nepal. Twenty-one rhesus macaques at the Swoyambhu Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, were compared with more than 300 Indian- and Chinese-origin rhesus macaques. The sequence analyses of two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) loci, from the HVS I and 12 S rRNA regions, showed that the Nepali animals were more similar to Indian-origin than to Chinese-origin animals. The distribution of alleles at 24 short tandem repeat (STR) loci distributed across 17 chromosomes also showed greater similarity between the Nepali and Indian-origin animals. Finally, an analysis of seven major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles showed that the Nepali animals expressed Class I alleles that are common to Indian-origin animals, including Mamu-A*01. All of these analyses also revealed a low level of genetic diversity within this Nepali rhesus sample. We conclude that the rhesus macaques of Nepal more closely resemble rhesus macaques of Indian origin than those of Chinese origin. As such, the Nepali rhesus may offer an additional resource option for researchers who wish to maintain research protocols with animals that possess key genetic features characteristic of Indian-origin rhesus macaques.     

重组鼠疫菌V抗原的纯化及其豚鼠免疫保护力初探

采用Ni^2 亲和层析方法,对用工程化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)表达的重组鼠疫菌v抗原进行纯化,目标蛋白纯度达到90％以上。以氢氧化铝凝胶配制吸附疫苗,经二针次肌内注射免疫实验豚鼠后,对皮下注射400个致死剂量(MLD)强毒鼠疫菌攻击有一定保护效力,存活率为20％。结果表明,重组鼠疫菌V抗原有望作为改进的F1 V亚单位疫苗的主要成分。     

Immunization of black-tailed prairie dog against plague through consumption of vaccine-laden baits

Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) are highly susceptible to Yersinia pestis and, along with other wild rodents, are significant reservoirs of plague for other wildlife and humans in the western United States. A recombinant raccoon poxvirus, expressing the F1 antigen of Y. pestis, was incorporated into a palatable bait and offered to three groups (n = 18, 19, and 20) of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) for voluntary consumption, either one, two, or three times, at roughly 3-wk intervals. A control group (n = 19) received baits containing raccoon poxvirus without the inserted antigen. Mean antibody titers to Y. pestis F1 antigen increased significantly in all groups ingesting the vaccine-laden baits, whereas the control group remained negative. Upon challenge with virulent Y. pestis, immunized groups had higher survival rates (38%) than the unimmunized control group (11%). The mean survival time of groups ingesting vaccine-laden baits either two or three times was significantly higher than that of animals ingesting vaccine-laden baits just one time and of animals in the control group. These results show that oral immunization of prairie dogs against plague provides some protection against challenge at dosages that simulate simultaneous delivery of the plague bacterium by numerous (3-10) flea bites.     

Depo-Provera abrogates attenuated lentivirus-induced protection in male rhesus macaques challenged intravenously with pathogenic SIVmac239

BACKGROUND: Progesterone administration prior to intravaginal challenge with pathogenic SIVmac239 decreases the protective efficacy of live attenuated vaccines in rhesus macaques. METHODS: To determine if progesterone alters the efficacy of live attenuated vaccines through local or systemic effects, seven male rhesus macaques were immunized with SHIV89.6 and then challenged intravenously with SIVmac239. Three of these animals were treated with Depo-Provera 30 days prior to the SIV challenge. RESULTS: The SHIV animals had significantly lower plasma viral RNA levels than the unimmunized control monkeys, but the Depo-Provera treated, SHIV-immunized animals did not. Despite the lack of protection, the Depo-Provera SHIV animals had strong SIV specific T-cell responses. However, altered patterns of NK frequency and CD38 T-cell expression prior to SIV challenge were observed in Depo-Provera SHIV animals. CONCLUSIONS: Depo-Provera eliminates live-attenuated lentivirus vaccine efficacy in male rhesus monkeys through systemic effects on antiviral immunity and/or viral replication.     

Yersinia pestis Yop secretion protein F: purification, characterization, and protective efficacy against bubonic plague

Yersinia pestis is a gram-negative human pathogen that uses a type III secretion system to deliver virulence factors into human hosts. The delivery is contact-dependent and it has been proposed that polymerization of Yop secretion protein F (YscF) is used to puncture mammalian cell membranes to facilitate delivery of Yersinia outer protein effectors into host cells. To evaluate the potential immunogenicity and protective efficacy of YscF against Y. pestis, we used a purified recombinant YscF protein as a potential vaccine candidate in a mouse subcutaneous infection model. YscF was expressed and purified from Escherichia coli by immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography and protein identity was confirmed by ion trap mass spectrometry. The recombinant protein was highly alpha-helical and formed relatively stable aggregates under physiological conditions. The properties were consistent with behavior expected for the native YscF, suggesting that the antigen was properly folded. Ten mice were inoculated subcutaneously, administered booster injections after one month, and challenged with 130 LD(50) of wild type Y. pestis CO92. Six animals in the vaccinated group but none in the control group survived the challenge. The vaccinated animals produced high levels of specific antibodies against YscF as determined by Western blot. The data were statistically significant (P = 0.053 by two-tailed Fisher's test), suggesting that the YscF protein can provide a protective immune response against lethal plague challenge during subcutaneous plague infection.     

B亚型SHIV_（SF162p3）中国恒河猴小剂量多次阴道黏膜感染

目的模拟HIV性传播感染特点进行中国恒河猴阴道黏膜小剂量多次感染研究,为我国艾滋病疫苗有效性评价提供新的模型构建思路。方法选用20-30TCID50剂量的SHIVSF162p3病毒阴道黏膜途径感染六只成年雌性中国恒河猴,共感染13次,每次攻毒间隔4～7 d。采取测定血浆病毒载量和外周血CD4＋∶CD8＋。结果 6只中国恒河猴经13次病毒攻击后,经检测均建立系统性感染,血浆病毒载量呈阳性;CD4＋∶CD8＋均有下降。结论成功建立了中国恒河猴阴道黏膜小剂量多次感染模型,为艾滋病研究提供了新的更接近于自然感染状态的模型建立模式。     

SHIV1157ipd3N4中国恒河猴细胞适应株静脉感染中国恒河猴有效浓度的确定

目的确定SHIV1157ipd3N4静脉途径感染中国恒河猴的有效病毒浓度,明确SHIV1157ipd3N4感染实验猴体内病毒复制和免疫损伤情况。方法 10只正常中国恒河猴分成6组,分别用10倍系列稀释的病毒液1 mL静脉感染,测定血浆病毒载量,CD4＋/CD8＋,CD4＋T淋巴细胞绝对数,分析感染后恒河猴体内病毒复制和免疫损伤情况。结果 5TCID50/mL以上浓度的SHIV1157ipd3N4能通过静脉途径感染中国恒河猴。结论该实验的成功进行为SHIV/中国恒河猴疾病及评价模型的建立奠定了良好的基础,为今后使用此模型评价抗病毒药物或疫苗提供了条件。     

The lytic activity of Yersinia pestis phage P 3d serovar

The lytic activity of plague phage II, serovar 3, with respect to 1,800 bacterial strains has been studied: 760 Yersinia pestis strains, 262 Y. pseudotuberculosis strains, 252 Y. enterocolitica strains, 166 Escherichia coli strains, 90 Shigella strains and 270 strains of other species. The phage has been found to lyse 81.8% of Y. pestis strains, 1 Y. pseudotuberculosis strain and 1 Y. enterocolitica strain. The representatives of other 19 bacterial species have proved to be resistant to the phage. Though having a wide range of action within Y. pestis, the phage does not lyse most of the strains of the causative agent of plague, isolated in certain natural foci. This fact offers promise for using the phage for the differentiation of Y. pestis.     

Yersinia pestis YopE contains a dominant CD8 T cell epitope that confers protection in a mouse model of pneumonic plague

Septic bacterial pneumonias are a major cause of death worldwide. Several of the highest priority bioterror concerns, including anthrax, tularemia, and plague, are caused by bacteria that acutely infect the lung. Bacterial resistance to multiple antibiotics is increasingly common. Although vaccines may be our best defense against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, there has been little progress in the development of safe and effective vaccines for pulmonary bacterial pathogens. The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis causes pneumonic plague, an acutely lethal septic pneumonia. Historic pandemics of plague caused millions of deaths, and the plague bacilli's potential for weaponization sustains an ongoing quest for effective countermeasures. Subunit vaccines have failed, to date, to fully protect nonhuman primates. In mice, they induce the production of Abs that act in concert with type 1 cytokines to deliver high-level protection; however, the Y. pestis Ags recognized by cytokine-producing T cells have yet to be defined. In this study, we report that Y. pestis YopE is a dominant Ag recognized by CD8 T cells in C57BL/6 mice. After vaccinating with live attenuated Y. pestis and challenging intranasally with virulent plague, nearly 20% of pulmonary CD8 T cells recognize this single, highly conserved Ag. Moreover, immunizing mice with a single peptide, YopE(69-77), suffices to confer significant protection from lethal pulmonary challenge. These findings suggest YopE could be a valuable addition to subunit plague vaccines and provide a new animal model in which sensitive, pathogen-specific assays can be used to study CD8 T cell-mediated defense against acutely lethal bacterial infections of the lung.     

Assessment of the effectiveness of different methoods of immunization with live plague vaccine EB in aerosol infections]

The work deals with the results of the comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of vaccines developed at the Sanitary Research Institute (Zagorsk) and the Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera (Moscow), as well as two methods of immunization against plague, by inhalation and subcutaneous injection, under the conditions of aerosol infection. The immunogenic effectiveness of both vaccines, when evaluated in terms of LD50, was shown to be approximately the same, but the animals immunized by the inhalation method with the vaccine developed at the Sanitary Research Institute proved to be less susceptible to infection than those immunized with the vaccine developed at the Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera in Moscow. After immunization by the inhalation method the vaccine developed at the Sanitary Research Institute rendered more effective protection (3- to 4-fold) against aerosol infection than after immunization by subcutaneous injection. The animals immunized by the inhalation method proved to be capable of surviving plague in the primary pneumonic form.     

Prophylactic use of ceftriaxone in combination with F I antigen immunization in studies on uninbred albino mice infected by Yersinia pestis. Antiplague immunity development]

Administration of highly immunogenic (ED50 12.6 mcg/mouse) F I antigen (100 mcg/mouse) to albino mice 5 hours after their contamination approximately with 1000 LD50 of Yersinia pestis 231 provided 99-percent survival of same animals (17-50%) and 2-5-day prolongation of the life-span, that was indicative of the phenomenon analogous to the survival phenomenon observed in infected animals immunized by immunogenic strains of the plague microbe. The experiment on the mice confirmed high efficacy of ceftriaxone (100-percent survival) when used prophylactically for 5 days 5 hours after the contamination by Y. pestis 231 (approximately 1000 LD50) in the dose equivalent to the daily dose for humans. However, no antiplague immunity developed in the survivors: the immunity index (II) of 1.5x10. The use of ceftriaxone according to the same scheme simultaneously with single immunization by F I antigen in a dose of 100 mcg/mouse resulted not only in 100-percent survival of the animals but also in development of expressing antiplague immunity (II 2.2x10(5)). The protection level corresponded to the control with the same live-stock of the animals after a single immunization in the analogous dose of F I antigen (II 3.2x10(4)) and the ceftriaxone use (II 1.0x10(5)), as well as after immunization of the mice by 10(6) microbial cells of Y. pestis EV NIIEG (II 1.2x10(5)). The results of the study are indicative of the prospective use of subsingle vaccines of the new generation based on F I antigen for combined specific and urgent prophylaxis.     

Susceptibility of the Siberian polecat to subcutaneous and oral Yersinia pestis exposure.

To determine if the Siberian polecat (Mustela eversmannii) represents a suitable model for the study of plague pathogenesis and prevention in the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), polecats were exposed to 10(3), 10(7), or 10(10) Yersinia pestis organisms by subcutaneous injection; an additional group was exposed to Y. pestis via ingestion of a plague-killed mouse. Plague killed 88% of polecats exposed to Y. pestis (71% mortality in the 10(3) group, 100% mortality in the 10(7) and 10(10) groups, and 83% mortality in the mouse-fed group). Within the challenged group, mean day of death post-challenge ranged from 3.6 to 7.6 days; all polecats died on or before day 12 post-challenge. Animals receiving the lowest parenteral dose survived significantly longer than those receiving higher parenteral doses. Within challenged animals, mean survival time was lower in those presenting with significant weight loss by day 3, lethargy, and low fecal output; time to onset of lethargy and other signs was also related to risk of dying and/or plague dose. Six polecats developed serum antibody titers to the Y. pestis F1 protein. Three seropositive polecats survived the initial challenge and a subsequent exposure to a plague-killed mouse, while two seropositive animals later died. This study confirms that the Siberian polecat is susceptible to plague and suggests that this species will offer an appropriate surrogate for black-footed ferrets in future plague studies and related vaccine trials.     

Genetic characterization of Indian-origin and Chinese-origin rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Genetic differences between Indian-origin and Chinese-origin rhesus macaques are as great as those between some primate species and can influence the results of experiments in which both are used as animal models for the study of the same human diseases. Unfortunately, many breeding facilities do not know with certainty the origin of the founders of their rhesus breeding colonies. Here I summarize the most definitive of the genetic traits among the microsatellite (STR) loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences that my laboratory previously reported to characterize Indian-origin and Chinese-origin rhesus macaques and then estimate the frequencies of these traits and their reliability as indicators of country of origin. The expression of diagnostic traits at two or more of four different unlinked loci provides a nearly 100% reliability in distinguishing rhesus macaques of Indian and Chinese origin.     

环介导等温扩增技术检测鼠疫耶尔森菌的敏感性和特异性研究

为观察环介导等温扩增(loop-mediated isothermal amplification,LAMP)技术能否适用于我国不同疫源地鼠疫耶尔森菌所有基因组型的检测,本研究建立了一种基于3a靶序列设计特异性引物快速检测鼠疫耶尔森菌的LAMP方法.选择分离自我国11个鼠疫自然疫源地的65株野生代表性鼠疫耶尔森菌株,同...