Induction of cytotoxic T cell responses in newborn mice by DNA immunization.
Cytotoxic T cells (CTL) play a critical role in controlling viral infections. Infection of neonatal NFSIN mice with a high dose of Cas-Br-M murine leukemia virus, a neuropathogenic type C retrovirus, results in virus-induced neurologic disease and in their failure to generate a protective CTL response. Cas-Br-M-specific CTL are necessary in the protection of neonatal mice from Cas-Br-M-induced neurologic disease. Here we demonstrate that intramuscular inoculation of newborn mice with naked DNA expressing the full length Cas-Br-M genome induces a virus-specific CTL-mediated response. This CTL response is mediated by CD8+ T cells, is long lasting and, when transferred to susceptible neonatal recipients, protects them from Cas-induced neurologic disease. We also provide evidence that the intramuscular inoculation of neonates with plasmid DNA encoding only env sequences induces a dose-dependent CTL response in the absence of an anti-MuLV antibody response.
Sarzotti
M
M
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland at Baltimore 21201, USA.
Dean
T A
TA
Remington
M P
MP
Ly
C D
CD
Furth
P A
PA
Robbins
D S
DS
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014765:Viral Vaccines