Enhanced immunogenicity in mouse by recombinant BCG prime and protein boost based on latency antigen Rv1733c and/or reactivation antigen RpfE.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), but it fails to prevent the establishment and reactivation of latent TB. Overexpression of latency and reactivation antigens by BCG may enhance its efficacy against latent infection and subsequent reactivation. This study aimed to construct recombinant BCG strains (rBCGs) overexpressing the latency antigen Rv1733c and/or resuscitation promoting factor E (RpfE).

Methods

Episomal (pJH222) or integrative (pJH223) plasmids-either empty or encoding rv1733c or rpfE-were transformed into a lysine auxotroph strain of BCG for lysine complementation. The resulting rBCGs were genetically and phenotypically characterized. Female BALB/c mice underwent a six-month vaccinat

SUBMITTER: Ashayeripanah M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12532793 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature