Immediate-early expression of a recombinant antigen by modified vaccinia virus ankara breaks the immunodominance of strong vector-specific B8R antigen in acute and memory CD8 T-cell responses.
Efficient T-cell responses against recombinant antigens expressed by vaccinia virus vectors require expression of these antigens in the early phase of the virus replication cycle. The kinetics of recombinant gene expression in poxviruses are largely determined by the promoter chosen. We used the highly attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) to determine the role of promoters in the induction of CD8 T-cell responses. We constructed MVA recombinants expressing either enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or chicken ovalbumin (OVA), each under the control of a hybrid early-late promoter (pHyb) containing five copies of a strong early element or the well-known early-late p7.5 or pS promoter for comparison. In primary or cultured cells, EGFP expression under the control of pHyb was detected within 30 min, as an immediate-early protein, and remained higher over the first 6 h of infection than p7.5- or pS-driven EGFP expression. Repeated immunizations of mice with recombinant MVA expressing OVA under the control of the pHyb promoter led to superior acute and memory CD8 T-cell responses compared to those to p7.5- and pS-driven OVA. Moreover, OVA expressed under the control of pHyb replaced the MVA-derived B8R protein as the immunodominant CD8 T-cell antigen after three or more immunizations. This is the first demonstration of an immediate-early neoantigen expressed by a poxviral vector resulting in superior induction of neoantigen-specific CD8 T-cell responses.
Baur
Karen
K
Bavarian Nordic GmbH, Fraunhoferstrasse 13, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany.
Brinkmann
Kay
K
Schweneker
Marc
M
Pätzold
Juliane
J
Meisinger-Henschel
Christine
C
Hermann
Judith
J
Steigerwald
Robin
R
Chaplin
Paul
P
Suter
Mark
M
Hausmann
Jürgen
J
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D010047:Ovalbumin