Improvement of DNA vaccine immunogenicity by a dual antigen expression system

This study examined whether increased antigen expression resulted in enhanced antigen-specific immune responses in the context of DNA vaccines. To increase antigen expression, two copies of antigen expression cassettes were arranged in a plasmid pDX. BALB/c mice were intramuscularly immunized with v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2004-02, Vol.315 (1), p.38-43
Main Authors: Sasaki, Shin, Takeshita, Fumihiko, Oikawa, Tomohiro, Kojima, Yoshitsugu, Xin, Ke-Qin, Okuda, Kenji, Ishii, Norihisa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies, Viral - blood
Antigens, Viral - biosynthesis
Antigens, Viral - genetics
Antigens, Viral - immunology
DNA vaccines
Female
Gene Expression
Genes, Reporter - genetics
Genetic Vectors
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - genetics
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - immunology
Influenza virus
Injections, Intramuscular
Interferon-gamma - immunology
Interleukin-4 - immunology
Luciferase
Luciferases - metabolism
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Nucleoproteins - genetics
Nucleoproteins - immunology
Orthomyxoviridae - genetics
Plasmids - genetics
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Transduction, Genetic
Transgenes - genetics
Vaccination
Vaccines, DNA - biosynthesis
Vaccines, DNA - genetics
Vaccines, DNA - immunology
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Summary:This study examined whether increased antigen expression resulted in enhanced antigen-specific immune responses in the context of DNA vaccines. To increase antigen expression, two copies of antigen expression cassettes were arranged in a plasmid pDX. BALB/c mice were intramuscularly immunized with various constructs that express influenza antigens and analysed for DNA-raised immunity. The plasmid pDX that expresses two copies of the antigen gene induced stronger antigen-specific immune responses than the plasmid pGA which expresses single antigen gene. To explore the in vivo transgene expression by pDX and pGA, luciferase activity was measured in the muscles transduced with luciferase expression plasmids. The pDX expressing two copies of luciferase induced the highest luciferase activity, which corresponded to the results from vaccination. We concluded that increasing the number of antigen expression cassettes in a vaccine construct improved antigen expression in the transduced tissue, which induced stronger DNA-raised immune responses.
ISSN:0006-291X
1090-2104
DOI:10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.12.204