title: Induction of antigen specific CD4+ T cell responses by invariant chain based DNA vaccines.
abstract: In this report, the use of DNA vaccination to induce class II restricted antigen specific proliferative responses was studied. To this end, a construct encoding the invariant chain (Ii) was engineered in which the Class II associated invariant chain peptide (CLIP) sequence was replaced by an immunogenic epitope derived form Heat Shock Protein 60, HSP60 178-186. Transfection studies in vitro showed that this construct can be used to efficiently load MHC class II molecules and present epitopes to MHC class II restricted antigen specific T cells. In addition, we showed that intradermal immunisation of Lewis rats with these constructs induced antigen specific T cells in vivo. Therefore, our Ii-gene constructs can be used to immunise for defined CD4+ T cell epitope sequences.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3508 TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: van Tienhoven
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: ten Brink
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Bergen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koning
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Eden
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Broeren
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019556:COS Cells; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000235:genetics; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014162:Transfection; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; C045084:invariant chain