Alex Cabrera, Darwin Sáez, Sandra Céspedes, Edilia Andrews, Angel Oñate
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepcion, Chile.
Immunobiology 2009Recombinant replicons of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) can be used to induce high-level, transient expression of heterologous proteins in vivo. We constructed infectious but replication-deficient SFV particles carrying recombinant RNA encoding the Brucella abortus translation initiation factor 3 (IF3). The recombinant SFV particles (SFV-IF3 particles) were then evaluated for their ability to induce immune responses and to protect BALB/c mice against a challenge with B. abortus 2308 following vaccination. Animals inoculated with SFV-IF3 developed IF3-specific IgM antibodies at day 14 post-immunization. In vitro stimulation of splenocytes from vaccinated mice with either recombinant IF3 (rIF3) or crude Brucella protein extracts resulted in a T-cell proliferative response and induction of interferon gamma secretion, but not interleukin-4. In addition, mice immunized with SFV-IF3 exhibited a significant level of resistance against challenge with the virulent B. abortus strain 2308 (P<0.01). These findings indicate that an SFV-based vector carrying RNA encoding Brucella IF3 has potential for use as a vaccine to induce protection against B. abortus infections.
Alex Cabrera, Darwin Sáez, Sandra Céspedes, Edilia Andrews, Angel Oñate. Vaccination with recombinant Semliki Forest virus particles expressing translation initiation factor 3 of Brucella abortus induces protective immunity in BALB/c mice. Immunobiology. 2009;214(6):467-74
PMID: 19150742
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