Influence of codon usage on the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine against tetanus.
Two related DNA vaccine vector plasmids, harbouring either wild-type (pcDNA3/ntetC) or synthetic codon optimised (pcDNA3/stetC) DNA encoding fragment C (TetC) of tetanus toxin were constructed. COS-7 cells transformed with pcDNA3/stetC reproducibly expressed higher levels of TetC than similar cells transformed with pcDNA3/ntetC. BALB/c mice immunised intramuscularly with pcDNA3/stetC produced significantly higher levels of anti-TetC antibodies in their serum in the weeks following vaccination compared to mice immunised with pcDNA3/ntetC, even when differences in the CpG content between the two sequences were controlled for using non-expressing DNA.
Stratford
R
R
Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
Douce
G
G
Zhang-Barber
L
L
Fairweather
N
N
Eskola
J
J
Dougan
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D003017:Clostridium tetani / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics*; D018899:CpG Islands; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007114:Immunization; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin / Q000097:blood; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
D003062:Codon; D017931:DNA Primers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013743:Tetanus Antitoxin; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; C040635:tetanus toxin fragment C