Author/Editor		Maes, Piet; Keyaerts, Els; Bonnet, Veronique; Clement, Jan; Avšič-Županc, Tatjana; Robert, Alain; Van Ranst, Marc
Title		Truncated recombinant Dobrava hantavirus nucleocapsid proteins induce strong, long-lasting immune responses in mice
Type		članek
Source		Intervirology
Vol. and No.		Letnik 49
Publication year		2006
Volume		str. 253-60
Language		eng
Abstract		We describe the cloning and expression of Dobrava hantavirus (DOBV) nucleocapsid proteins and a truncated form consisting of the first 118 N-terminal amino acids, and the capacity of these E. coli ICONE 200-expressed recombinant proteins (rNp) to induce a protective immune response against DOBV in mice. As an alternative carrier protein, the outer membrane protein A derived from Klebsiella pneumoniae (rP40) has been coupled to different rNp constructs, All recombinant proteins were found to be highly immunogenic after three immunizations of rNp. The immunizations resulted in the induction of a strong Np-specific IgG response with a predominance of IgG 1 over IgG2b and IgG2a, suggesting a mixed Th1/Th2 cell involvement. Aspecific IgG3 response could not be detected, Mice immunized with recombinant DOBV rNp without rP40 showed fower nucleocapsidspecific antibody responses in comparison with the rP40-conlugated constructs, but all mice were found to be protected against DOBV challenge. Our results indicate that the rNp constructs coupled to rP40, represent promising vaccine condidates.
Descriptors		HANTAVIRUS NUCLEOCAPSID RECOMBINANT PROTEINS VACCINES, SYNTHETIC ANTIBODIES, VIRAL MICE IGG