Endogenously Expressed Antigens Bind Mammalian RNA via Cationic Domains that Enhance Priming of Effector CD8 T Cells by DNA Vaccination.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core (HBV-C) antigens with homologous or heterologous HIV-tat48-57-like (HBV-C149tat) cationic domains non-specifically bind cellular RNA in vector-transfected cells. Here, we investigated whether RNA-binding to cationic domains influences the immunogenicity of endogenously expressed antigens delivered by DNA vaccination. We initially evaluated induction of HBV-C (K^b/C93)-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses in C57BL/6J (B6) and 1.4HBV-S^mut transgenic (tg) mice that harbor a replicating HBV genome in hepatocytes by DNA immunization. RNA-binding HBV-C and HBV-C149tat antigens moderately enhanced K^b/C93-specific CD8⁺ T cells in B6 mice as compared with RNA-free HBV-C149 antigen (lacking cationic domains). However, only

SUBMITTER: Krieger J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6403493 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature