title: Protection against anthrax toxin by vaccination with a DNA plasmid encoding anthrax protective antigen.
abstract: A DNA vaccine encoding the immunogenic and biologically active portion of anthrax protective antigen (PA) was constructed. Spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized intramuscularly with this vaccine were stimulated to secrete IFN gamma and IL-4 when exposed to PA in vitro. Immunized mice also mounted a humoral immune response dominated by IgG1 anti-PA antibody production, the subclass previously shown to confer protection against anthrax toxin. A 1:100 dilution of serum from these animals protected cells in vitro against cytotoxic concentrations of PA. Moreover, 7/8 mice immunized three times with the PA DNA vaccine were protected against lethal challenge with a combination of anthrax protective antigen plus lethal factor.
authors.affiliation: Section of Retroviral Immunology, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Leppla
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Klinman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000276:immunology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005815:Genetic Code; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D014611:Vaccination