title: Enhanced cell-mediated IFN-gamma-secreting activity against the HIV-1IIIB V3 peptide of the TAB9 multiepitope after DNA vaccine backbone engineering.
abstract: The SV40t polyadenylation and splicing signals of the pAEC plasmid vectors were replaced by synthetic intron and synthetic rabbit beta globin-based termination/polyadenylation sequences, and 5, 10, and 20 copies of the 5'-AACGTT-3' CpG motif were inserted. Balb/c mice were immunized by intramuscular injection of 200 microg of each plasmid, coding for the HIV-1 multiepitope TAB9, under the control of the human cytomegalovirus promoter. After three doses of DNA, a fourth boost with plasmid DNA or a TAB9-expressing recombinant fowlpox virus rFPTAB9LZ was administered. ELISA and ELISPOT assays were conducted for antibody and IFN-gamma-secreting cell-mediated responses' evaluation against the whole TAB9 and the TAB9's IIIB V3 peptide, respectively. Serum IgG antibodies were not detected. Effector IFN-gamma-secreting responses were only detected on the animals receiving the new set of DNA constructs, alone or in combination with a recombinant virus boost, with or without in vitro re-stimulation. The response was dependent on the new transcriptional unit and influenced by the number of CpG motifs. We showed that plasmid backbone optimization based on these two factors could enhance the response against a multiepitope-based DNA vaccine. A new family of plasmid vectors is also available for evaluation with desired antigens.
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Division, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of Havana, P.O. Box 6162, Havana 10600, Cuba. ernesto.galban@cigb.edu.cu
authors.forename: Ernesto G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Dania M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: Antonieta M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry*; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018899:CpG Islands; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000737:chemistry*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007438:Introns; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008957:Models, Genetic; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000939:Epitopes; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C082068:HIV-1 IIIB gp120 subunit vaccine; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C417682:TAB9; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D004247:DNA