title: Mouse-specific immunocontraceptive polyepitope vaccines.
abstract: Two mouse-specific polyepitope protein antigens comprising different combinations of sequences chosen from the mouse fertility antigens zona pellucida proteins 1 and 3 (ZP1 and ZP3), prolactin, proliferin, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), sperm protein SP56 and T-helper cell-stimulating epitopes were produced in bacterial protein expression systems. The recombinant proteins were fused to maltose binding protein (MBP) and used to immunize female mice; their effects on fertility were assessed. Controls were immunized with either MBP only or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). One antigen construct (MBP-polyepitope B), containing mouse-specific epitopes for ZP1, ZP3, SP56 and proliferin, significantly reduced the fertility of female BALB/c mice. Fertility in this group was decreased by > 40% compared with the MBP control and the number of viable embryos was decreased by > 60%. This construct will now be used to produce the antigen in a recombinant murine cytomegalovirus for assessment as a potential mouse-specific anti-fertility vaccine for use in the control of mice in the field.
authors.affiliation: Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, ACT, Australia. chris.hardy@csiro.au
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pekin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: ten Have
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization / Q000662:veterinary; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011388:Prolactin / Q000276:immunology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000072216:Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004527:Egg Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C000634106:Prl2c2 protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive; D000072216:Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins; C000606519:Zp1 protein, mouse; C000606521:Zp3 protein, mouse; C094480:sp56 protein, mouse; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011388:Prolactin