title: A DNA vaccine encoding Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase of Brucella abortus induces protective immunity in BALB/c mice.
abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a DNA vaccine encoding Brucella abortus Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD). Intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA carrying the SOD gene (pcDNA-SOD) into BALB/c mice elicited both humoral and cellular immune responses. Animals injected with pcDNA-SOD developed SOD-specific antibodies which exhibited a dominance of immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) over IgG1. In addition, the DNA vaccine elicited a T-cell-proliferative response and also induced the production of gamma interferon, but not interleukin-10 (IL-10) or IL-4, upon restimulation with either recombinant SOD or crude Brucella protein, suggesting the induction of a typical T-helper-1-dominated immune response in mice. The pcDNA-SOD (but not the control vector) induced a strong, significant level of protection in BALB/c mice against challenge with B. abortus virulent strain 2308; the level of protection was similar to the one induced by B. abortus vaccine strain RB51. Altogether, these data suggest that pcDNA-SOD is a good candidate for use in future studies of vaccination against brucellosis.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile. aonate@udec.cl
authors.forename: Angel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Oñate
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Céspedes
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rivers
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Folch
authors.forename: Edilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase