Effective protective immunity to Yersinia pestis infection conferred by DNA vaccine coding for derivatives of the F1 capsular antigen.

ABSTRACT: Three plasmids expressing derivatives of the Yersinia pestis capsular F1 antigen were evaluated for their potential as DNA vaccines. These included plasmids expressing the full-length F1, F1 devoid of its putative signal peptide (deF1), and F1 fused to the signal-bearing E3 polypeptide of Semliki Forest virus (E3/F1). Expression of these derivatives in transfected HEK293 cells revealed that deF1 is expressed in the cytosol, E3/F1 is targeted to the secretory cisternae, and the nonmodified F1 is rapidly eliminated from the cell. Intramuscular vaccination of mice with these plasmids revealed that the vector expressing deF1 was the most effective in eliciting anti-F1 antibodies. This response was not limited to specific mouse strains or to the mode of DNA administration, though gene gun-media

SUBMITTER: Grosfeld H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC143422 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature