Nef modulates the immunogenicity of Gag encoded in a non-infectious HIV DNA vaccine.
Gag-CD8+ T cell responses are associated with immune control of HIV infection. Since during HIV infection Nef impairs T cell responses, we evaluated whether deletion of nef from a non-infectious HIV DNA vaccine (Delta4 Nef+), creating Delta5 Nef(-), would affect its immunogenicity. When compared with Delta4, mice injected with Delta5 developed significantly lower CD8+ T cell responses to Gag, but no significant change in the responses to Env was observed. In vitro, deletion of Nef abrogated the induced cell death, production of virus-like particles and release of Gag from transfected cells. Thus, the effect of Nef in causing extrusion of Gag might adjuvant the CD8+ T cell responses to Gag in DNA vaccine.
Arrode
Geraldine
G
Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 5000 Wahl Hall East, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
Hegde
Ramakrishna
R
Jin
Yuhuai
Y
Singh
Dinesh Kumar
DK
Narayan
Opendra
O
Chebloune
Yahia
Y
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016923:Cell Death; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D022701:Virosomes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000276:immunology*
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D022701:Virosomes; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus