Recombinant baculoviruses expressing yellow fever virus E and NS1 proteins elicit protective immunity in mice.
Recently, we showed that yellow fever virus (YFV) E and NS1 proteins in Spodoptera frugiperda cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus are similar, if not identical to those produced during YFV infection. To study the role of E and NS1 in the induction of protective immunity against fatal YFV challenge, these viral antigens were expressed either alone or in tandem via recombinant baculoviruses Ac-E. NS1, Ac-E1 and Ac-NS1. Swiss mice were immunized with lysates of insect cells infected with the recombinant baculoviruses. Solid protection against lethal YFV encephalitis was achieved after immunization with cell lysates containing the E protein with or without the NS1 protein. Mice inoculated with recombinant protein NS1 alone were not significantly protected but showed an increased survival time. Recombinant E protein expressed alone or in tandem with NS1 elicited a low but significant level of neutralizing antibodies. Although protein NS1 synthesized by recombinant baculovirus expressing E plus NS1 was more immunogenic than that expressed alone, neither strategy induced NS1-specific antibodies with complement-mediated cytolytic activity.
Desprès
P
P
Unité de Virologie Moléculaire, CNRS URA 545, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Dietrich
J
J
Girard
M
M
Bouloy
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D051379:Mice; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015004:Yellow Fever / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015005:Yellow fever virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines