title: Vaccination with DNA plasmids expressing Gn coupled to C3d or alphavirus replicons expressing gn protects mice against Rift Valley fever virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an arthropod-borne viral zoonosis. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an important biological threat with the potential to spread to new susceptible areas. In addition, it is a potential biowarfare agent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We developed two potential vaccines, DNA plasmids and alphavirus replicons, expressing the Gn glycoprotein of RVFV alone or fused to three copies of complement protein, C3d. Each vaccine was administered to mice in an all DNA, all replicon, or a DNA prime/replicon boost strategy and both the humoral and cellular responses were assessed. DNA plasmids expressing Gn-C3d and alphavirus replicons expressing Gn elicited high titer neutralizing antibodies that were similar to titers elicited by the live-attenuated MP12 virus. Mice vaccinated with an inactivated form of MP12 did elicit high titer antibodies, but these antibodies were unable to neutralize RVFV infection. However, only vaccine strategies incorporating alphavirus replicons elicited cellular responses to Gn. Both vaccines strategies completely prevented weight loss and morbidity and protected against lethal RVFV challenge. Passive transfer of antisera from vaccinated mice into naïve mice showed that both DNA plasmids expressing Gn-C3d and alphavirus replicons expressing Gn elicited antibodies that protected mice as well as sera from mice immunized with MP12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that both DNA plasmids expressing Gn-C3d and alphavirus replicons expressing Gn administered alone or in a DNA prime/replicon boost strategy are effective RVFV vaccines. These vaccine strategies provide safer alternatives to using live-attenuated RVFV vaccines for human use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhardwaj
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Heise
authors.forename: Ted M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000524:Alphavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002460:Cell Line; D015933:Complement C3d / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010957:Plasmids; D012295:Rift Valley Fever / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D010455:Peptides; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D015933:Complement C3d