title: Enhancement of immune response to a hepatitis C virus E2 DNA vaccine by an immunoglobulin Fc fusion tag.
abstract: Neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune response both play essential roles in the clearance of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The envelope glycoprotein E2 is a major target for producing neutralizing antibodies against HCV. Here, we constructed a recombinant plasmid, termed pcDNA3.1-E2-Fc, to express HCV E2 with an immunoglobulin Fc fusion tag (E2-Fc). Importantly, we found that the titers of E2-specific IgG from mice immunized with pcDNA3.1-E2-Fc were significantly higher than that from mice immunized with pcDNA3.1-E2. Moreover, pcDNA3.1-E2-Fc immunization could boost E2-specific lymphocyte proliferation and enhance the secretion of IFN-γ by lymphocytes upon in vitro stimulation with soluble E2 compared to pcDNA3.1-E2 immunization. Neutralization assays showed that serum from pcDNA3.1-E2-Fc immunized mice exhibited more effective neutralizing capacity of HCVpp entry into Huh-7 cells compared with that from pcDNA3.1-E2 immunized mice, although both of the sera could inhibit the virus entry. Taken together, our results imply that pcDNA3.1-E2-Fc immunization could enhance E2-specific humoral and cellular immune response in mice and thus provide a promising candidate for the development of an HCV vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jinrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Gengfu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yinong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: E2 antigen; cellular immunity; hepatitis C virus; humoral immunity; immunogloblin Fc fragment