Immunization of mice against West Nile virus with recombinant envelope protein.
West Nile (WN) virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that emerged in the United States in 1999 and can cause fatal encephalitis. Envelope (E) protein cDNA from a WN virus isolate recovered from Culex pipiens in Connecticut was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant E protein was purified and used as Ag in immunoblot assays and immunization experiments. Patients with WN virus infection had Abs that recognized the recombinant E protein. C3H/HeN mice immunized with E protein developed E protein Abs and were protected from infection with WN virus. Passive administration of E protein antisera was also sufficient to afford immunity. E protein is a candidate vaccine to prevent WN virus infection.
Wang
T
T
Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Anderson
J F
JF
Magnarelli
L A
LA
Wong
S J
SJ
Koski
R A
RA
Fikrig
E
E
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines