Induction of antigen-specific systemic and mucosal immune responses by feeding animals transgenic plants expressing the antigen.
A report from that the presence of lactogenic immunity in pigs protected suckling piglets from porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection suggested that inducing mucosal immune responses in lactating pigs is an effective way of protecting swine from PEDV infection. In this study, we developed transgenic tobacco plants that express the antigen protein corresponding to the neutralizing epitope of PEDV spike protein, and tested whether feeding the plants to pigs induced an effective immune response against PEDV infection. First, we confirmed the immunogenicity of the plant-derived antigen by using a plaque reduction neutralization assay with serum obtained after injecting mice with protein extracted from the transgenic plants. Feeding the transgenic plants to mice induced both systemic and mucosal immune responses against the antigen. The induced antibodies inhibited virus infection in the plaque reduction neutralization assay. These results suggest that feeding animals transgenic plants carrying antigen genes is an effective strategy to induce protective immune responses against PEDV infection.
Bae
Jong-Lye
JL
Division of Biological Sciences, Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Chonbuk National University, Chonju Dukjindiong 664-14, Chonju 561-756, South Korea.
Lee
Jong-Gul
JG
Kang
Tae-Jin
TJ
Jang
Hyon-Seok
HS
Jang
Yong-Suk
YS
Yang
Moon-Sik
MS
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology*; D004771:Enteroviruses, Porcine / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000941:Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011994:Recombinant Proteins