title: Equine rhinitis A virus-like particle expressing DNA vaccine induces a virus neutralising immune response in mice.
abstract: Equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV) is a respiratory pathogen of horses. Candidate vaccines to date have been hindered by low expression levels and the induction of non-neutralising antibodies. The immunodominant epitope of ERAV is conformational and is located within the quaternary structure of the capsid. This site should be retained in ERAV virus-like particles (VLPs) to stimulate the induction of neutralising antibodies. The immunogenicity of a plasmid-based DNA vaccine designed to express ERAV VLPs was assessed. The plasmid construct, pcD.P12A.3C, contained the capsid precursor (P1-2A) and the viral protease 3C, under the transcriptional control of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Mature viral capsid proteins and VLPs were detected in vitro in transfected COS7 cells. Immunisation of BALB/c mice with pcD.P12A.3C induced virus neutralising antibodies and enhanced the virus neutralising antibody response to purified, UV-inactivated ERAV. This study further supports the use of DNA vaccines to elicit neutralising antibodies to complex antigenic proteins.
authors.affiliation: Equine Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Stacey E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gilkerson
authors.forename: Sally J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Symes
authors.forename: Jin-An
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tatarczuch
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hartley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005537:Aphthovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics; D010957:Plasmids; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases