Protection of mice against influenza A virus challenge by vaccination with baculovirus-expressed M2 protein.
We have investigated the potential of the conserved transmembrane M2 protein of influenza A/Ann Arbor/6/60 virus, expressed by a baculovirus recombinant, to induce protective immunity in BALB/c mice. Vaccination of mice with M2 shortened the duration of virus shedding and protected mice from a lethal infection with A/Ann Arbor/6/60 virus but not B/Ann Arbor/1/55 virus, suggesting that the protection was mediated by an M2-specific mechanism. Serum antibodies were detected which reacted with synthetic peptides defining three antigenic determinants located on both the external N- and internal C-termini of the M2 protein. Furthermore, vaccination with M2 protected mice from death following a lethal challenge with the heterologous A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2) virus. These results demonstrate the potential to elicit heterosubtypic immunity to type A influenza viruses through vaccination with a conserved transmembrane protein.
Slepushkin
V A
VA
Influenza Branch, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Katz
J M
JM
Black
R A
RA
Gamble
W C
WC
Rota
P A
PA
Cox
N J
NJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000276:immunology; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C031540:M-protein, influenza virus; C488937:M2 protein, Influenza A virus; D000086082:Viroporin Proteins