Protection of mice with a divalent tuberculosis DNA vaccine encoding antigens Ag85B and MPT64.
DNA vaccine may be a promising tool for controlling tuberculosis development. However, vaccines encoding single antigens of mycobacterium did not produce protective effect as BCG did. In the present study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a divalent DNA vaccine encoding two immunodominant antigens Ag85B and MPT64 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We found that both humoral and Th1-type (high IFN-gamma, low IL-4) cellular responses obtained from the divalent DNA vaccine group were significantly higher than that conferred by BCG. RT-PCR results showed that antigens were expressed differentially in various organs in divalent DNA vaccine group. The survival rate for mice treated with the divalent DNA vaccine after challenging with high doses of virulent M. tuberculosis H37Rv was significantly higher than that of the BCG group or any of the single DNA vaccine group. Significant differences were also found between the single and divalent DNA vaccinated mice in terms of body, spleen and lung weight. Bacterial loading decreased about 2000-fold in lungs and about 100-fold in spleens of divalent DNA vaccinated mice when compared with that of the control group. We conclude that our divalent DNA vaccine may be a better choice for controlling tuberculosis disease in animals.
Tian
Xia
X
The National Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Genetic Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Cai
Hong
H
Zhu
Yu-Xian
YX
D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000276:immunology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009929:Organ Size / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D015996:Survival Rate; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080865:MPB64 protein, Mycobacterium; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000217:Acyltransferases; C121433:antigen 85B, Mycobacterium tuberculosis