title: Comparative studies of the capsid precursor polypeptide P1 and the capsid protein VP1 cDNA vectors for DNA vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes a severe livestock disease, and the virus is an interesting target for virology and vaccine studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we evaluated comparatively three different viral antigen-encoding DNA sequences, delivered via two physical means (i.e., gene gun delivery into skin and electroporation delivery into muscle), for naked DNA-mediated vaccination in a mouse system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both methods gave similar results, demonstrating commonality of the observed DNA vaccine effects. Immunization with a cDNA vector expressing the major viral antigen (VP1) alone routinely failed to induce the production of anti-VP1 or neutralizing antibodies in test mice. As a second approach, the plasmid L-VP1 that produces a transgenic membrane-anchored VP1 protein elicited a strong antibody response, but all test mice failed in the FMDV challenge experiment. In contrast, for mice immunized with the viral capsid precursor protein (P1) cDNA expression vector, both neutralizing antibodies and 80-100% protection in test mice were detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This strategy of using the whole capsid precursor protein P1 cDNA for vaccination, intentionally without the use of virus-specific protease or other encoding genes for safety reasons, may thus be employed as a relevant experimental system for induction or upgrading of effective neutralizing antibody response, and as a convenient surrogate test system for DNA vaccination studies of FMDV and presumably other viral diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of BioAgricultural Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, ROC. nsyang@gate.sinica.edu.tw
authors.forename: Ning-Sun
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jeng-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ku-Feng
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chien-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Suk-Am
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yu-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jong
authors.forename: Tsun-Yung
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Shiow-Suey
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: R Holland
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ming-Tsair
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Shu-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019470:Biolistics; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018274:Electroporation; D029544:Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012703:Serotyping; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C442501:VP1 protein, Foot-and-mouth disease virus; D019444:Vaccines, DNA