Active immunization with recombinant V antigen from Yersinia pestis protects mice against plague.
The gene encoding V antigen from Yersinia pestis was cloned into the plasmid expression vector pGEX-5X-2. When electroporated into Escherichia coli JM109, the recombinant expressed V antigen as a stable fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase. The glutathione S-transferase-V fusion protein was isolated from recombinant E. coli and cleaved with factor Xa to yield purified V antigen as a stable product. Recombinant V antigen was inoculated intraperitoneally into mice and shown to induce a protective immune response against a subcutaneous challenge with 3.74 x 10(6) CFU of virulent Y. pestis. Protection correlated with the induction of a high titer of serum antibodies and a T-cell response specific for recombinant V antigen. These results indicate that V antigen should be a major component of an improved vaccine for plague.
Leary
S E
SE
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.
Williamson
E D
ED
Griffin
K F
KF
Russell
P
P
Eley
S M
SM
Titball
R W
RW
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010930:Plague / Q000517:prevention & control*; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D017931:DNA Primers; C043908:LcrV protein, Yersinia; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic