title: Fusion of interleukin-2 to subunit antigens increase their antigenicity in vitro due to an interleukin-2 receptor beta-mediated antigen uptake mechanism.
abstract: Subunit vaccines, based on one or more epitopes, offer advantages over whole vaccines in terms of safety but are less antigenic. We investigated whether fusion of the cytokine interleukin-2 (IL-2) to influenza-derived subunit antigens could increase their antigenicity. The fusion of IL-2 to the subunit antigens increased their antigenicity in vitro. Encapsulation of the subunit antigen in liposomes also increased its antigenicity in vitro, yet encapsulation of the subunit IL-2 fusion did not. The use of anti-IL-2 receptor beta (IL-2Rbeta) antibody to block the receptor subunit on macrophages suggested that the adjuvancy exerted by IL-2 in our in vitro system is due to, at least in part, a previously unreported IL-2Rbeta-mediated antigen uptake mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wales
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buchan
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D053646:Interleukin-2 Receptor beta Subunit; D008081:Liposomes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006388:Hemagglutinins; C508022:Il2rb protein, mouse; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D053646:Interleukin-2 Receptor beta Subunit; D008081:Liposomes; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins