Escherichia coli-derived envelope protein gD but not gC antigens of herpes simplex virus protect mice against a lethal challenge with HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Immunization studies with HSV-1 and HSV-2 envelope proteins expressed in Escherichia coli were performed. After active immunization of mice with a gD-1 antigen (Leu53-Ala312) expressed as a fusion protein, the animals were protected from a lethal challenge with HSV-1 and HSV-2. In addition, antisera from rabbits immunized with the same gD-1 antigen also conferred passive immunity to mice against a challenge infection with either HSV-1 or HSV-2. In contrast to these successful gD-1 protection experiments, various gC-1 and gC-2 fusion proteins from E. coli failed to induce protective immunity. Moreover, the mice sera from immunized animals were not able to react with the authentic, glycosylated gC-1 and gC-2 envelope proteins, whereas sera raised against authentic gC-1 and gC-2 glycoproteins do recognize the gC fusion proteins from E. coli. These results indicate, that E. coli might represent an ideal system for expressing gD antigens as a possible component of a HSV vaccine, whereas gC antigen cannot be produced in an immunocompetent form in E. coli.
Bröker
M
M
Research Laboratories of Behringwerke AG, Marburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Abel
K J
KJ
Köhler
R
R
Hilfenhaus
J
J
Amann
E
E
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D051379:Mice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C048232:glycoprotein C, herpes simplex virus type 2; C039447:glycoprotein D, Human herpesvirus 1