Protective immunity against equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) infection in mice induced by recombinant EHV-1 gD.
The ability of recombinant preparations of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) glycoprotein D (gD) to elicit specific antibody and T lymphocyte responses in the BALB/c mouse model of respiratory infection was investigated. Recombinant gD (rgD) expressed as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein in Escherichia coli elicited both high titer neutralizing antibody (nAb) and CD4 T cell proliferative responses following subcutaneous or intranasal immunization, but elicited only a weak antibody response after intraperitoneal immunization. Protection against respiratory tract infection with pathogenic EHV-1 RacL11 was observed in mice immunized subcutaneously with GST-gD. Furthermore, the degree of protection correlated to the titer of nAb and the T cell response observed. Finally, GST-gD was more effective in protecting against respiratory RacL11 infection if delivered intranasally. These results confirm that gD plays an important role in eliciting the protective immune response against EHV-1 infection, and indicate that subunit vaccines containing preparations of gD may be very effective if delivered directly to the upper respiratory tract.
Zhang
Y
Y
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, School of Medicine in Shreveport, 71130, USA.
Smith
P M
PM
Tarbet
E B
EB
Osterrieder
N
N
Jennings
S R
SR
O'Callaghan
D J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006736:Horses; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins