title: The ability of CpG oligonucleotides to protect mice against Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain but not fully virulent F. tularensis subspecies holarctica is reflected in cell-based assays.
abstract: CpG DNA is a potent activator of the innate immune system. Here the protective effects of CpG DNA are assessed against the facultative intracellular pathogen Francisella tularensis. Dosing of mice with CpG DNA provided protection against disease caused by F. tularensis subsp. holarctica live vaccine strain (LVS) but did not protect against the fully virulent F. tularensis subsp holarctica strain HN63. Similarly, in vitro studies in J774A murine macrophage-like cells demonstrated that stimulation with CpG DNA enables control of intracellular replication of LVS but not HN63. These data confirm findings that CpG DNA may have limited efficacy in providing protection against fully virulent strains of F. tularensis and also suggest that in vitro assays may be useful for the evaluation of novel treatments for virulent F. tularensis.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences Department, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D G Cerys
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: M Gill
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Hartley
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Roman A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lukaszewski
authors.forename: Kate F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Helen S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Arthur M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Krieg
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Titball
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003600:Cytosol / Q000382:microbiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014406:Tularemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; C408982:CPG-oligonucleotide; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
keywords: CpG; Innate immunity; Tularemia