A single immunization with a plasmid encoding hepatitis C virus (HCV) structural proteins under the elongation factor 1-alpha promoter elicits HCV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL).
Recent studies have raised the possibility that DNA-based vaccination may prove useful for generating virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) responses. Recently, a plasmid containing the human elongation factor 1alpha(EF1-alpha) promoter, pEF321, was reported to be a versatile expression vector for gene expression in mammalian cells in vitro. In the present study, we assessed the capability of a novel plasmid, pEFCE1E2, encoding hepatitis C virus (HCV) structural proteins (core, E1 and E2) under the EF1-alpha promoter to generate CTL against HCV in vivo. BALB/c mice were immunized with the pEFCE1E2 but not with a plasmid possessing the same cDNA under the cytomegalovirus developed HCV-specific effector cells by a single immunization. These effector cells elicited by pEFCE1E2 immunization were CD8(+) and major histocompatibility complex class I restricted. These studies provided evidence for the potential utility of the EF1-alpha promoter for development of DNA vaccines against HCV infections.
Nishimura
Y
Y
Department of Bioregulation, Mie University School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, Japan.
Kamei
A
A
Uno-Furuta
S
S
Tamaki
S
S
Kim
G
G
Adachi
Y
Y
Kuribayashi
K
K
Matsuura
Y
Y
Miyamura
T
T
Yasutomi
Y
Y
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000276:immunology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins