title: Evaluation of the immune response induced by DNA vaccine cocktail expressing complete SAG1 and ROP2 genes against toxoplasmosis.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii, the pathogen of toxoplasmosis, can infect most mammals and birds. The high incidence and severe or lethal damages of toxoplasmosis clearly indicate the need for the development of a more effective vaccine. We constructed a DNA cocktail, containing plasmids encoding the full-length SAG1 and ROP2 genes of T. gondii and evaluated its immune response and protective efficacy in comparison with single-gene vaccines and control groups. We immunized BALB/c mice intramuscularly three times. DNA cocktail elicited IgG and IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-2 greater than single-gene plasmids and increased survival time against a lethal challenge with the highly virulent T. gondii RH strain. The current study shows that pc-SAG1+ pc-ROP2 as a cocktail DNA vaccine produces higher Th1 immune response than single-gene plasmids and cocktail DNA is effective to prime an enhanced and balanced specific immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoseinian Khosroshahi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghaffarifar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalimi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C090555:ROP 2 protein, Toxoplasma gondii; C047168:SAG1 antigen, Toxoplasma; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma