Oral immunization with attenuated Salmonella expressing human sperm antigen induces antibodies in serum and the reproductive tract.
Induction of immune responses in the reproductive tract will be crucial for a functional gamete antigen-based antifertility vaccine. Here we describe the construction and development of an avirulent Salmonella as an oral vaccine delivery vector to elicit sperm-specific immune responses in reproductive tract secretions. A cDNA sequence encoding the human sperm antigen SP10 was cloned on an asd+vector and expressed to a high level in an avirulent delta cya, delta crp, and delta asd vaccine strain of Salmonella typhimurium. Oral immunization of female BALB/c mice with this recombinant Salmonella elicited high-titer anti-SP10 IgG antibodies in serum and IgA antibodies in vaginal secretions. Anti-SP10 antibody titers could be increased by secondary and tertiary oral administrations of the recombinant Salmonella. Induction of sperm-specific antibodies in the reproductive tract following oral administration of a recombinant Salmonella could lead to the development of a simple, safe, efficient, and easy-to-use antifertility vaccine.
D000177:Acrosome; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000941:Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D003269:Contraception, Immunologic; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology
C512729:ACRV1 protein, human; C080034:Acrv1 protein, mouse; D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic