Evaluation of the protective immunogenicity of the N, P, M, NV and G proteins of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss using DNA vaccines

• Published in: Diseases of aquatic organisms 1999-12, Vol.39 (1), p.29-36
• Main Authors: CORBEIL, S, LAPATRA, S. E, ANDERSON, E. D, JONES, J, VINCENT, B, HSU, Y.-L, KURATH, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal aquaculture; Animal productions; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; DNA vaccines; double prime G protein; double prime M protein; double prime N protein; double prime NV protein; double prime P protein; Fish Diseases - immunology; Fish Diseases - prevention & control; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Amplification; Genes, Viral; Immunization, Passive - veterinary; Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus; Marine; matrix protein; Microbiology; Neutralization Tests - veterinary; Oncorhynchus mykiss; Pisciculture; Plasmids; Rhabdoviridae; Rhabdoviridae - genetics; Rhabdoviridae - immunology; Rhabdoviridae Infections - immunology; Rhabdoviridae Infections - prevention & control; Rhabdoviridae Infections - veterinary; Salmon; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, DNA - genetics; Vertebrate aquaculture; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - immunology; Viral Vaccines - genetics; Virology
• ISSN: 0177-5103; 1616-1580
• DOI: 10.3354/dao039029

The protective immunogenicity of the nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), matrix protein (M), non-virion protein (NV) and glycoprotein (G) of the rhabdovirus infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) was assessed in rainbow trout using DNA vaccine technology. DNA vaccines were produced by amplifying and cloning the viral genes in the plasmid pCDNA 3.1. The protective immunity elicited by each vaccine was evaluated through survival of immunized fry after challenge with live virus. Neutralizing antibody titers were also determined in vaccinated rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry (mean weight 2 g) and 150 g sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. The serum from the 150 g fish was also used in passive immunization studies with naive fry. Our results showed that neither the internal structural proteins (N, P and M) nor the NV protein of IHNV induced protective immunity in fry or neutralizing antibodies in fry and 150 g fish when expressed by a DNA vaccine construct. The G protein, however, did confer significant protection in fry up to 80 d post-immunization and induced protective neutralizing antibodies. We are currently investigating the role of different arms of the fish immune system that contribute to the high level of protection against IHNV seen in vaccinated fish.