重组黄热病毒E蛋白结构域Ⅲ作为亚单位疫苗的抗原性和免疫原性

目的：表达纯化黄热病毒（YFV）囊膜蛋白（E蛋白）结构域Ⅲ,研究其作为亚单位疫苗预防YFV、日本脑炎病毒（JEV）感染的可能。方法：扩增YFVE蛋白结构域Ⅲ（YFDⅢ）的cDNA片段333bp,将其连接到原核表达载体pET-32a（＋）中,构建原核表达载体pET-YFDⅢ,转化感受态大肠杆菌Rosetta（DE3）,IPTG诱导表达重组YFDⅢ;用纯化的YFDⅢ免疫新西兰兔和BALB/c鼠,检测相关抗体滴度。结果：在大肠杆菌中可溶性表达了YFDⅢ融合蛋白,表达量约占菌体蛋白的50%;Western印迹及ELISA分析表明,纯化的YFDⅢ具有良好的抗原性和免疫原性;利用纯化的YFDⅢ免疫新西兰兔,获得了高达1∶4×105滴度的抗YFV抗体和1∶2×104滴度的抗JEV抗体;利用纯化的YFDⅢ免疫BALB/c鼠,获得了1∶7×104滴度的抗YFV抗体和1∶2×103滴度的抗JEV抗体。结论：重组YFDⅢ有较好的免疫原性,具有开发成亚单位疫苗的潜能。     

Immunization with recombinant adenovirus synthesizing the secretory form of Japanese encephalitis virus envelope protein protects adenovirus-exposed mice against lethal encephalitis

Replication-defective recombinant adenoviruses (RAds) were constructed that synthesized the pre-membrane and envelope (E) proteins of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Recombinant virus RAdEa synthesized Ea, the membrane-anchored E protein, and RAdEs synthesized Es, the secretory E protein. Compared with RAdEs, RAdEa replicated poorly in HEK 293A cells and synthesized lower amounts of E protein. Oral immunization of mice with RAds generated low titers of anti-JEV antibodies that had little JEV neutralizing activity. Intra-muscular (IM) immunization of mice with either RAd generated high titers of anti-JEV antibodies. Interestingly, RAdEa induced only low titers of JEV neutralizing antibodies. Titers were significantly higher in case of RAdEs immunization. Splenocytes from mice immunized IM with RAds secreted large amounts of interferon-γ and moderate amounts of interleukin-5 in the presence of JEV and showed cytotoxic activity against JEV-infected cells. Naïve mice immunized IM with RAdEs showed complete protection against a lethal dose of JEV given intra-cerebrally. In order to study the effect of the pre-existing adenovirus 5 (Ad5) immunity on the outcome of the RAdEs immunization, mice were exposed to Ad5 through IM or intra-nasal (IN) routes before immunization with RAdEs. Mice exposed to Ad5 through the IN route, when immunized with RAdEs given IM, or those exposed to Ad5 through the IM route, when immunized with RAdEs given IN, were completely protected against lethal JEV challenge.     

Oral immunization of mice with Japanese encephalitis virus envelope protein synthesized in Escherichia coli induces anti-viral antibodies

In order to evaluate the possibility of developing an oral vaccine against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), mice were fed with recombinant JEV envelope (E) protein synthesized in Escherichia coli. The protein was administered orally to mice with or without an immunostimulatory cytosine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG) motif containing synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) as an adjuvant. The immunized mice made high-titered anti-E and anti-JEV antibodies. Mice immunized with JEV E protein along with the ODN adjuvant produced higher antibody titers and these were predominantly IgG2a type. These antibodies, however, failed to neutralize JEV activity in vitro, and the immunization did not protect the mice against lethal JEV challenge. Splenocytes from the immunized mice secreted large amounts of interferon (IFN)-gamma and showed proliferation in the presence of JEV E protein. Our results indicate that JEV E protein delivered orally to mice together with ODN generated both humoral and cellular immune responses to JEV, and these were of the Th1 type.     

Protective Mechanisms Induced by a Japanese Encephalitis Virus DNA Vaccine: Requirement for Antibody but Not CD8+ Cytotoxic T-Cell Responses

We have previously shown that a plasmid (pE) encoding the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) envelope (E) protein conferred a high level of protection against a lethal viral challenge. In the present study, we used adoptive transfer experiments and gene knockout mice to demonstrate that the DNA-induced E-specific antibody alone can confer protection in the absence of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) functions. Plasmid pE administered by either intramuscular or gene gun injection produced significant E-specific antibodies, helper T (Th)-cell proliferative responses, and CTL activities. Animals receiving suboptimal DNA vaccination produced low titers of anti-E antibodies and were only partially or not protected from viral challenge, indicating a strong correlation between anti-E antibodies and the protective capacity. This observation was confirmed by adoptive transfer experiments. Intravenous transfer of E-specific antisera but not crude or T-cell-enriched immune splenocytes to sublethally irradiated hosts conferred protection against a lethal JEV challenge. Furthermore, experiments with gene knockout mice showed that DNA vaccination did not induce anti-E titers and protective immunity in Igmu(-/-) and I-Abeta(-/-) mice, whereas in CD8alpha(-/-) mice the pE-induced antibody titers and protective rate were comparable to those produced in the wild-type mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the anti-E antibody is the most critical protective component in this JEV challenge model and that production of anti-E antibody by pE DNA vaccine is dependent on the presence of CD4(+) T cells but independent of CD8(+) T cells.     

A Lentiviral Vector Expressing Japanese Encephalitis Virus-like Particles Elicits Broad Neutralizing Antibody Response in Pigs

Background

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the major cause of viral encephalitis in Southeast Asia. Vaccination of domestic pigs has been suggested as a “one health” strategy to reduce viral disease transmission to humans. The efficiency of two lentiviral TRIP/JEV vectors expressing the JEV envelope prM and E glycoproteins at eliciting protective humoral response was assessed in a mouse model and piglets.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A gene encoding the envelope proteins prM and E from a genotype 3 JEV strain was inserted into a lentiviral TRIP vector. Two lentiviral vectors TRIP/JEV were generated, each expressing the prM signal peptide followed by the prM protein and the E glycoprotein, the latter being expressed either in its native form or lacking its two C-terminal transmembrane domains. In vitro transduction of cells with the TRIP/JEV vector expressing the native prM and E resulted in the efficient secretion of virus-like particles of Japanese encephalitis virus. Immunization of BALB/c mice with TRIP/JEV vectors resulted in the production of IgGs against Japanese encephalitis virus, and the injection of a second dose one month after the prime injection greatly boosted antibody titers. The TRIP/JEV vectors elicited neutralizing antibodies against JEV strains belonging to genotypes 1, 3, and 5. Immunization of piglets with two doses of the lentiviral vector expressing JEV virus-like particles led to high titers of anti-JEV antibodies, that had efficient neutralizing activity regardless of the JEV genotype tested.

Conclusions/Significance

Immunization of pigs with the lentiviral vector expressing JEV virus-like particles is particularly efficient to prime antigen-specific humoral immunity and trigger neutralizing antibody responses against JEV genotypes 1, 3, and 5. The titers of neutralizing antibodies elicited by the TRIP/JEV vector are sufficient to confer protection in domestic pigs against different genotypes of JEV and this could be of a great utility in endemic regions where more than one genotype is circulating.     

Protection of mice against Japanese encephalitis virus by passive administration with monoclonal antibodies

We have identified and characterized nine antigenic epitopes on the E envelope of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) by using mAb. Passive administration of most of the anti-JEV mAb protected mice from i.v. challenge with 1.5 x 10(3) plaque-forming units of JEV, JaGAr-01 strain. Some mAb, which possess high neutralization activity in vitro, showed high protection, and JEV-specific N mAb 503 was found the most protective. Even an injection of 2.5 micrograms/mouse of mAb 503 protected all mice from JEV infection. Furthermore, an injection of about 200 micrograms of mAb 503 on day 5 postinfection protected 82% of the mice, even when JEV was detected in more than 85% of the infected mouse brains. Synergism of protection was observed with mixtures of several mAb directed against different epitopes. Although in a murine macrophage cell line, all of the mAb groups showed antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of JEV infectivity in vitro, and only two flavivirus cross-reactive mAb groups showed ADE of dengue virus type 2. The ADE of JEV by mAb seems not to be harmful for in vivo protection experiments, except for two mAb groups: mAb 302 and 201 showed little or no protective activity against JEV infection and, rather, caused early death in infected mice.     

A Japanese encephalitis virus peptide present on Johnson grass mosaic virus-like particles induces virus-neutralizing antibodies and protects mice against lethal challenge

Protection against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is antibody dependent, and neutralizing antibodies alone are sufficient to impart protection. Thus, we are aiming to develop a peptide-based vaccine against JEV by identifying JEV peptide sequences that could induce virus-neutralizing antibodies. Previously, we have synthesized large amounts of Johnson grass mosaic virus (JGMV) coat protein (CP) in Escherichia coli and have shown that it autoassembled to form virus-like particles (VLPs). The envelope (E) protein of JEV contains the virus-neutralization epitopes. Four peptides from different locations within JEV E protein were chosen, and these were fused to JGMV CP by recombinant DNA methods. The fusion protein autoassembled to form VLPs that could be purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Immunization of mice with the recombinant VLPs containing JEV peptide sequences induced anti-peptide and anti-JEV antibodies. A 27-amino-acid peptide containing amino acids 373 to 399 from JEV E protein, present on JGMV VLPs, induced virus-neutralizing antibodies. Importantly, these antibodies were obtained without the use of an adjuvant. The immunized mice showed significant protection against a lethal JEV challenge.     

Protective immunity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis>-synthesized NS1 protein of Japanese encephalitis virus

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of recombinant Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) NS1 proteins generated using DNA vaccines and recombinant viruses have been demonstrated to induce protection in mice against a challenge of JEV at a lethal dose. The West Nile virus NS1 region expressed in E. coli is recognized by these protective monoclonal antibodies and, in this study, we compare immunogenicity and protective immunity of the E. coli-synthesized NS1 protein with another protective immunogen, the envelope domain III (ED3). Pre-challenge, detectable titers of JEV-specific neutralizing antibody were detected in the immunized mice with E. coli-synthesized ED3 protein (PRNT50 = 1:28) and the attenuated JEV strain T1P1 (PRNT50 = 1:53), but neutralizing antibodies were undetectable in the immunized mice with E. coli-synthesized NS1 protein (PRNT50 < 1:10). However, the survival rate of the NS1-immunized mice against the JEV challenge was 87.5% (7/8), showing significantly higher levels of protection than the ED3-immunized mice, 62.5% (5/8) (P = 0.041). In addition, E. coli-synthesized NS1 protein induced a significant increase of anti-NS1 IgG1 antibodies, resulting in an ELISA titer of 100,1000 in the immunized sera before lethal JEV challenge. Surviving mice challenged with the virulent JEV strain Beijing-1 showed a ten-fold or greater rise in IgG1 and IgG2b titers of anti-NS1 antibodies, implying that the Th2 cell activation might be predominantly responsible for antibody responses and mice protection.     

Recognition of Nonstructural Protein Peptides by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Raised against Japanese Encephalitis Virus

We have previously reported that Lyt2⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) can be raised against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in BALB/c mice. In order to confirm the presence of H-2K^d-restricted CTL and to examine their cross-recognition of West Nile virus (WNV), we tested the capacity of anti-JEV CTL to lyse uninfected syngeneic target cells that were pulsed with synthetic peptides. The sequence of the synthetic peptides was predicted based upon the H-2K^d binding consensus motif. We show here that preincubation of uninfected syngeneic targets (P388D1) with JEV NS1- and NS3-derived peptides [NS1 (891-899) and NS3 (1804-1812)], but not with JEV NS5-derived peptide [NS5 (3370-3378)], partially sensitized them for lysis by polyclonal anti-JEV CTL. These results indicate the CTL recognition of NS1- and NS3-derived peptides of JEV.     

Screening of protective antigens of Japanese encephalitis virus by DNA immunization: a comparative study with conventional viral vaccines

In this study, we evaluated the relative role of the structural and nonstructural proteins of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in inducing protective immunities and compared the results with those induced by the inactivated JEV vaccine. Several inbred and outbred mouse strains immunized with a plasmid (pE) encoding the JEV envelope protein elicited a high level of protection against a lethal JEV challenge similar to that achieved by the inactivated vaccine, whereas all the other genes tested, including those encoding the capsid protein and the nonstructural proteins NS1-2A, NS3, and NS5, were ineffective. Moreover, plasmid pE delivered by intramuscular or gene gun injections produced much stronger and longer-lasting JEV envelope-specific antibody responses than immunization of mice with the inactivated JEV vaccine did. Interestingly, intramuscular immunization of plasmid pE generated high-avidity antienvelope antibodies predominated by the immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) isotype similar to a sublethal live virus immunization, while gene gun DNA immunization and inactivated JEV vaccination produced antienvelope antibodies of significantly lower avidity accompanied by a higher IgG1-to-IgG2a ratio. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the JEV envelope protein represents the most critical antigen in providing protective immunity.     

Inoculation of plasmids encoding Japanese encephalitis virus PrM-E proteins with colloidal gold elicits a protective immune response in BALB/c mice

We established a simple and effective method for DNA immunization against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection with plasmids encoding the viral PrM and E proteins and colloidal gold. Inoculation of plasmids mixed with colloidal gold induced the production of specific anti-JEV antibodies and a protective response against JEV challenge in BALB/c mice. When we compared the efficacy of different inoculation routes, the intravenous and intradermal inoculation routes were found to elicit stronger and more sustained neutralizing immune responses than intramuscular or intraperitoneal injection. After being inoculated twice, mice were found to resist challenge with 100,000 times the 50% lethal dose (LD(50)) of JEV (Beijing-1 strain) even when immunized with a relatively small dose of 0.5 micro g of plasmid DNA. Protective passive immunity was also observed in SCID mice following transfer of splenocytes or serum from plasmid DNA- and colloidal gold-immunized BALB/c mice. The SCID mice resisted challenge with 100 times the LD(50) of JEV. Analysis of histological sections detected expression of proteins encoded by plasmid DNA in the tissues of intravenously, intradermally, and intramuscularly inoculated mice 3 days after inoculation. DNA immunization with colloidal gold elicited encoded protein expression in splenocytes and might enhance immune responses in intravenously inoculated mice. This approach could be exploited to develop a novel DNA vaccine.     

Development of an effective Japanese encephalitis virus-specific DNA vaccine

Intramuscular immunization with DNA vaccines has been shown to induce a broad range of immune responses and protective immunity in many animal models, but it is less effective in primates. One reason for this may be the low expression of vector-encoded antigen in cells. Here we report that the use of vaccine vector (pCJ-3) containing two regulatory elements, a chimeric intron and a bovine growth hormone (BGH) polyadenylation signal, markedly increased antigen expression both in vitro and in vivo. A positive correlation was seen between the level of expression of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) envelope proteins and the levels of antibodies in C3H/HeN mice. Immunization of mice with pCJ-3/ME (pCJ-3 containing the entire membrane and envelope protein genes) with or without cardiotoxin pretreatment resulted in higher antibody titers than immunization with vector containing only envelope protein and conferred full protection against infection with JEV. Electron microscopy showed that pCJ-3/ME expression resulted in the production of virus-like particles of JEV in vitro. The particles enhanced the production of higher titers of neutralizing antibodies and thus provided immunity against JEV. Consequently, the efficacy of the newly developed DNA vaccines was validated. This should pave the way to clinical trials in man.     

Multinucleated Giant Cell Formation in BHK-21-528 Cell Monolayers Infected with Japanese Encephalitis Viruses1

Formation of prominent multinucleated giant cells (MGC) was observed in monolayers of a clonal line of BHK-21 cells (BHK-21–528) when infected with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). MGC were first observed 3 to 4 days after infection and cytopathic changes proceeded thereafter. Formation of MGC is a typical cytopathic change in this clonal cell line. Virus titer in 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID₅₀) equaled that in 50% MGC-forming dose. Virus titer in TCID₅₀ was approximate to plaque-forming units (PFU) in the same host cells. An ability of JEV to form MGC was maintained at least for six serial passages in BHK-21–528. It was inactivated by heating at 56 C for 3 min. All JEV strains, except an attenuated live vaccine strain, induced formation of MGC in BHK-21–528 cells. Red blood cells of several animal species were not adsorbed to MGC induced by JEV. The MGC-forming ability of JEV was specifically neutralized by anti-JEV serum. By fluorescence antibody technique, the MGC were specifically stained by anti-JEV antibody conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate. Immunization of animals with lysates of the MGC resulted in production of antibodies against JEV, but no antibody against other viruses which have been reported to induce MGC formation. From these evidences, it was concluded that JEV induced formation of MGC in BHK-21–528.     

Formalin Inactivation of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Vaccine Alters the Antigenicity and Immunogenicity of a Neutralization Epitope in Envelope Protein Domain III

Formalin-inactivated Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccines are widely available, but the effects of formalin inactivation on the antigenic structure of JEV and the profile of antibodies elicited after vaccination are not well understood. We used a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to map the antigenic structure of live JEV virus, untreated control virus (UCV), formalin-inactivated commercial vaccine (FICV), and formalin-inactivated virus (FIV). The binding activity of T16 MAb against Nakayama-derived FICV and several strains of FIV was significantly lower compared to live virus and UCV. T16 MAb, a weakly neutralizing JEV serocomplex antibody, was found to inhibit JEV infection at the post-attachment step. The T16 epitope was mapped to amino acids 329, 331, and 389 within domain III (EDIII) of the envelope (E) glycoprotein. When we explored the effect of formalin inactivation on the immunogenicity of JEV, we found that Nakayama-derived FICV, FIV, and UCV all exhibited similar immunogenicity in a mouse model, inducing anti-JEV and anti-EDII 101/106/107 epitope-specific antibodies. However, the EDIII 329/331/389 epitope-specific IgG antibody and neutralizing antibody titers were significantly lower for FICV-immunized and FIV-immunized mouse serum than for UCV-immunized. Formalin inactivation seems to alter the antigenic structure of the E protein, which may reduce the potency of commercially available JEV vaccines. Virus inactivation by H₂O₂, but not by UV or by short-duration and higher temperature formalin treatment, is able to maintain the antigenic structure of the JEV E protein. Thus, an alternative inactivation method, such as H₂O₂, which is able to maintain the integrity of the E protein may be essential to improving the potency of inactivated JEV vaccines.     

Protective immunity against Bordetella pertussis by a recombinant DNA vaccine and the effect of coinjection with a granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor gene

A recombinant pertussis DNA vaccine was described here with its immunogenicity and the ability to induce protection against B. pertussis infection in mice. Three immunodominant antigen gene fragments of pertussis, pertussis toxin subunit 1 (pts1), fragments of pertactin (prn) and filamentous hemagglutinin (fha), were recombined as fragment pts1-prn-fha named ppf, and it was cloned to plasmid pVAX1 as pVAX1/ppf. Compared to those injected with pVAX1, the mice injected with pVAX1/ppf significantly elicited more antigen specific antibody anti-PTS1, anti-PRN, anti-FHA and cytokine IL-10, IFN-gamma. When pGM-CSF was coinjected with pVAX1/ppf, the mice showed significantly increases of the three antibodies and cytokine IL-10, IL-4, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha compared to those injected with pVAX1 only. The mice in group pVAX1/ppf & pGM-CSF, in particular; induced much more anti-PTS1, IL-4 and TNF-alpha than those in group pVAX1/ppf. In the intracerebral mouse protection test, the mice immunized with pVAX1/ppf or pVAX1/ppf & pGM-CSF induced protection to a lethal dose of B. pertussis. The results indicate that recombinant DNA vaccine and pGM-CSF coinjection can induce protective immunity against B. pertussis, demonstrating a valuable method to prevent pertussis.     

The immunogenicity of recombinant LC16mO vaccinia virus harboring HBsAg gene in mice

It was found that hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) expressed by recombinant vaccinia virus (RVV), rProHBmO143, harboring HBsAg gene was immunologically similar to plasma-derived HBsAg and immunogenicity of the rProHBmO143 was possible to evaluate by the skin scarification (SS) method using BALB/c mice. When we compared the immunogenicity of 10(8) TCID50 of the rProHBmO143 by the SS method with that of 0.125 ml of the plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine (HB vaccine) given by intraperitoneal inoculation, the anti-HBs antibody eliciting ability of its RVV was almost the same as that of the HB vaccine with maintenance of high antibody titers, and the antibody responses rose further by re-inoculation in association with HB vaccine, especially by using its RVV as a priming. Also, no virus was recovered from the liver, spleen or brain of the mice inoculated with rProHBmO143 by the SS method. Furthermore, in mice inoculated with rProHBmO143 and then inoculated with RVV harboring Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) gene 24-weeks later, no effect was recognized on duration of anti-HBs antibody persistence while anti-JEV antibody is being produced. These results suggest that the rProHBmO143 is likely to become a practical live vaccine; a different immunization schedule to protect against hepatitis B virus and two or more kinds of RVV vaccines may be usable for the same animal or humans at intervals of some years.     

Inhibition of Japanese encephalitis virus infection by nitric oxide: antiviral effect of nitric oxide on RNA virus replication.

The antiviral effects of nitric oxide (NO) on Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a member of the family Flaviviridae, were investigated in this study. In vitro, inhibition of replication of JEV in gamma interferon-activated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages was correlated to cellular NO production. When cocultured with infected murine neuroblastoma N18 cells, gamma interferon-activated RAW 264.7 cells also efficiently hindered JEV replication in contiguous bystanders, and this anti-JEV effect could be reversed by an NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, N-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate. In vivo, the mortality rate increased as the NOS activity of JEV-infected mice was inhibited by its competitive inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Moreover, when an organic donor, S-nitro-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), was used, the NO-mediated antiviral effect was also observed in primarily JEV-infected N18, human neuronal NT-2, and BHK-21 cells, as well as in persistently JEV-infected C2-2 cells. These data reaffirm that NO has an effective and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against diversified intracellular pathogens. Interestingly, the antiviral effect of NO was not enhanced by treatment of N18 cells with SNAP prior to JEV infection, a measure which has been shown to greatly increase the antiviral effect of NO in infection by vesicular stomatitis virus. From biochemical analysis of the impact of NO on JEV replication in cell culture, NO was found to profoundly inhibit viral RNA synthesis, viral protein accumulation, and virus release from infected cells. The results herein thus suggest that NO may play a crucial role in the innate immunity of the host to restrict the initial stage of JEV infection in the central nervous system.     

DNA Immunization with Japanese Encephalitis Virus Nonstructural Protein NS1 Elicits Protective Immunity in Mice

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is a zoonotic pathogen that is prevalent in some Southeast Asian countries and causes acute encephalitis in humans. To evaluate the potential application of gene immunization to JEV infection, we characterized the immune responses from mice intramuscularly injected with plasmid DNA encoding JEV glycoproteins, including the precursor membrane (prM) plus envelope (E) proteins and the nonstructural protein NS1. When injected with the plasmid expressing prM plus E, 70% of the immunized mice survived after a lethal JEV challenge, whereas when immunized with the plasmid expressing NS1, 90% of the mice survived after a lethal challenge. As a control, the mice immunized with the DNA vector pcDNA3 showed a low level (40%) of protection, suggesting a nonspecific adjuvant effect of the plasmid DNA. Despite having no detectable neutralizing activity, the NS1 immunization elicited a strong antibody response exhibiting cytolytic activity against JEV-infected cells in a complement-dependent manner. By contrast, immunization with a construct expressing a longer NS1 protein (NS1′), containing an extra 60-amino-acid portion from the N terminus of NS2A, failed to protect mice against a lethal challenge. Biochemical analyses revealed that when individually expressed, NS1 but not NS1′ could be readily secreted as a homodimer in large quantity and could also be efficiently expressed on the cell surface. Interestingly, when NS1 and NS1′ coexisted in cells, the level of NS1 cell surface expression was much lower than that in cells expressing NS1 alone. These data imply that the presence of partial NS2A might have a negative influence on an NS1-based DNA vaccine. The results herein clearly illustrate that immunization with DNA expressing NS1 alone is sufficient to protect mice against a lethal JEV challenge.     

Modulatory effects of the human heat shock protein 70 on DNA vaccination

DNA vaccination with the plasmid expressing Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) nonstructural protein 1 (pJNS1) has been shown to induce effective immunity against JEV infection. To further increase the efficacy of pJNS1 DNA vaccination, we coinjected pJNS1 with a plasmid that expresses heat shock protein 70.1 (pHSP70.1) into mice. We found that coinjection of pHSP70.1 enhanced both T cell proliferation and cytotoxic effects, but not the antibody response to JEV. Moreover, mice immunized with both pHSP70.1 and pJNS1 were resistant to lethal challenges of JEV, indicating that the protective immunity against JEV is not decreased, in spite of the low antibody titer via the immunization of pHSP70.1. Since DNA vaccination administered by pJNS1 did not elicit strong cellular immunity in our previous study, the administration of pHSP70.1 apparently could be used as an adjuvant to enhance cell-mediated immunity in this model system. Thus, coadministration of pHSP70.1 DNA with plasmid DNA encoding tumor- or virus-specific antigens might be very useful in the treatment of cancers and other infectious diseases.     

A plasmid encoding Japanese encephalitis virus PrM and E proteins elicits protective immunity in suckling mice

A plasmid encoding Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) prM and E proteins was constructed, and its efficacy as a candidate vaccine against JEV was evaluated in suckling mice. Groups of 10 BALB/c mice (5-7 days old) were immunized twice via muscular injection with this DNA vaccine, an empty vector or PBS at an interval of 3 weeks, and were challenged with a lethal dose of JEV 3 weeks after the second inoculation. Both cellular and humoral immune responses were examined before the challenge. Two animals from each group were sacrificed to detect the JEV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity. JEV-specific lactate dehydrogenase release in the DNA vaccine, empty vector and PBS groups was 37.5%, 18% and 8.5% respectively. JEV-specific antibody was detected in 8 of 10 animals in DNA vaccine group with a geometrical mean titer of 1: 28.3. The pooled serum from the same group also showed a neutralizing activity. Six of 8 mice in the DNA vaccine group survived the challenge, with a protection rate of 75%, but all the mice died in the two control groups. These results show that this JEV prM and E DNA vaccine is immunogenic and protective against JEV infection in the mouse model.