title: Recombinant vaccinia viruses carrying the N gene of human respiratory syncytial virus: studies of gene expression in cell culture and immune response in mice.
abstract: The construction and characterization of vaccinia virus recombinants carrying the nucleocapsid (N) protein gene of human respiratory syncytial (RS) virus are described. Recombinant viruses were constructed that contained the N gene oriented either positively or negatively with respect to the 7.5-kilodalton vaccinia virus promoter. In addition, a positively oriented recombinant was constructed that lacked an out-of-frame AUG codon in the 5'-terminal noncoding region. In HEp-2 cells, both positive-orientation recombinants induced the synthesis of a protein which comigrated with N protein and was precipitated by antisera to RS virus. Sera from mice immunized with these recombinants specifically precipitated the RS virus N protein. Analysis of mRNA and protein expressed from the recombinant N genes showed that deletion of the upstream AUG codon markedly improved the efficiency of protein synthesis. Mice were vaccinated with the high-expressing recombinant and subsequently challenged with live RS virus. The results of these experiments demonstrated that the immune response to N protein afforded a significant degree of protection against RS virus disease.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002213:Capsid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005814:Genes, Viral; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014611:Vaccination; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D014758:Viral Core Proteins