title: Attenuated nef DNA vaccine construct induces cellular immune response: role in HIV-1 multiprotein vaccine.
abstract: HIV-1 positive patients generate Nef-specific CTL response, indicating that Nef is a potent immunogen. However, Nef is also known to down regulate the expression of CD4 and MHC-I molecules, thereby protecting virally infected target cells. We compared the immunogenicity of non-functional nef vaccine constructs to wild type functional nef as potential immunogen. Mice were immunized with different nef constructs and assessed for their ability to induce cellular immune responses. Evaluation of T cell immune responses in mice showed that non-functional nef vaccine constructs are capable of inducing a significant T cell immune response measured by IFN-gamma ELISPOT. Further epitope mapping studies indicate that one of our attenuated constructs, Nef R-38, has multiple CTL epitopes spanning throughout the gene. Our results indicate that functionally attenuated Nef antigen might be a better candidate for future multiprotein HIV-1 vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh/GSPH, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Biswanath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Majumder
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McBurney
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Tzvete
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dentchev
authors.forename: Sundarasamy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahalingam
authors.forename: Todd A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Reinhart
authors.forename: Velpandi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ayyavoo
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D015693:Gene Products, nef / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000939:Epitopes; D015693:Gene Products, nef; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D007371:Interferon-gamma