title: A fused gene of nucleoprotein (NP) and herpes simplex virus genes (VP22) induces highly protective immunity against different subtypes of influenza virus.
abstract: We evaluated the immunogenicity and protective activity of plasmid DNA vaccines encoding the influenza virus NP gene (pNP) alone or in combination with the herpes simplex virus type 1 protein 22 gene (pVP22). Optimal immune responses were observed in BALB/c mice immunized with the combination of pVP22 plus pNP, as assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and intracellular cytokine staining (ICCS). These mice also showed maximal resistance following challenge with the A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and A/Udron/72 (H3N2) strains of influenza virus. The susceptibility of immunized mice to virus infection was significantly increased following depletion of either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. These results indicate that a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding pVP22 plus NP induces a high level of cross-protective immunity against influenza virus subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biodefense Research, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Sukumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.forename: Kiyohiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klinman
authors.forename: Ke-Qin
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019677:Artificial Gene Fusion; D001835:Body Weight; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016207:Cytokines; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; C048842:NP protein, Influenza A virus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; C073413:herpes simplex virus type 1 protein VP22