title: Comparative immunization in BALB/c mice with recombinant replication-defective adenovirus vector and DNA plasmid expressing a SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein gene.
abstract: In order to investigate immunogenicity in the induction of humoral and cellular immune responses, severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-N gene recombinant replication-defective adenoviral vector, rAd-N, was generated and immunized BALB/c mice in a pcDNA3.1-N prime-rAd-N boost regimen. After humoral and cellular immune response detection, different levels of SARS-CoV N protein specific antibodies and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) secretion are shown compared to controls. The humoral immune response was induced more effectively by the DNA priming and recombinant adenovirus boosting regimen. There is a significant difference between heterogeneous and homologous vaccinations. The heterogeneous combinations were all higher than those of the homologous combinations in the induction of anti-N antibody response. Among the three heterogeneous combinations, pcDNA3.1-N/pcDNA3.1-N/pcDNA3.1-N/rAd-N induced the strongest antibody response. In the induction of IFN-gamma production, the homologous combination of rAd-N/rAd-N/rAd-N/rAd-N was significantly stronger than that of pcDNA3.1-N/pcDNA3.1-N/pcDNA3.1-N/pcDNA3.1-N, but was relatively weaker than the heterogeneous combination of pcDAN3.1-N/pcDAN3.1-N/pcDAN3.1-N/rAd-N. This combination was a most efficient immunization regimen in induction of SARS-CoV-N-specific (IFN-gamma) secretion just as the antibody response. These results suggest that DNA immunization followed by recombinant adenovirus boosting could be used as a potential SARS-CoV vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Minsheng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D010957:Plasmids; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014709:Vero Cells; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014765:Viral Vaccines