title: Toxoplasma gondii: Vaccination with a DNA vaccine encoding T- and B-cell epitopes of SAG1, GRA2, GRA7 and ROP16 elicits protection against acute toxoplasmosis in mice.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate, intracellular, protozoan parasite that infects large variety of warm-blooded animals including humans, livestock, and marine mammals, and causes the disease toxoplasmosis. Although T. gondii infection rates differ significantly from country to country, it still has a high morbidity and mortality. In these circumstances, developing an effective vaccine against T. gondii is urgently needed for preventing and treating toxoplasmosis. The aim of this study was to construct a multi-epitopes DNA vaccine and evaluate the immune protective efficacy against acute toxoplasmosis in mice. Therefore, twelve T- and B-cell epitopes from SAG1, GRA2, GRA7 and ROP16 of T. gondii were predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and then a multi-epitopes DNA vaccine was constructed. Mice immunized with the multi-epitopes DNA vaccine gained higher levels of IgG titers and IgG2a subclass titers, significant production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), percentage of T lymphocyte subsets, and longer survival times against the acute infection of T. gondii compared with those of mice administered with empty plasmid and those in control groups. Furthermore, a genetic adjuvant pEGFP-RANTES (pRANTES) could enhance the efficacy of the multi-epitopes DNA vaccine associating with humoral and cellular (Th1, CD8(+) T cell) immune responses. Above all, the DNA vaccine and the genetic adjuvant revealed in this study might be new candidates for further vaccine development against T. gondii infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, PR China.
authors.forename: Aiping
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Jinan-Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, PR China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, PR China.
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, PR China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, PR China.
authors.forename: Qunli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, PR China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, PR China.
authors.forename: Shenyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, PR China. Electronic address: zhouhy@sdu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Huaiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D019295:Computational Biology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: DNA vaccine; Genetic adjuvant; Multi-epitopes; Toxoplasma gondii