title: A simple method to test the ability of individual viral proteins to induce immune responses.
abstract: Immune responses to a mouse fibroblast line, transfected with a plasmid that causes expression of the rabies virus glycoprotein under the control of a simian virus 40 early promoter, were studied. Transfected cells were shown to be recognized in vitro by a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed to conformational epitopes of the different antigenic sites of the glycoprotein. They stimulated rabies virus glycoprotein-specific T helper cells in the presence of antigen-presenting cells and were, furthermore, recognized by rabies virus-induced cytolytic T cells. In vivo, immunization of H-2-compatible mice with the transfected cell line led to a rabies virus glycoprotein-specific antibody response, and to protection against a subsequent challenge with live virus. We propose this procedure, i.e. use of cell lines transfected with plasmids expressing a viral protein under a mammalian promoter, as a simple and inexpensive method to screen individual viral proteins for their ability to elicit immune responses, including T helper cells, cytolytic T cells, antibodies, and protection against viral challenge.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ertl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins