A DNA vaccine coding for the quimera BLSOmp31 induced a better degree of protection against B. ovis and a similar degree of protection against B. melitensis than Rev.1 vaccination

JULIANA CASSATARO, KARINA A. PASQUEVICH, SILVIA M. ESTEIN, DIEGO A. LAPLAGNE, ASTRID ZWERDLING, SILVIA DE LA BARRERA, RAÚL BOWDEN, CARLOS A. FOSSATI, GUILLERMO H. GIAMBARTOLOMEI, FERNANDO A. GOLDBAUM.

VACCINE

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; Año: 2007 vol. 25 p. 5958 - 5967

0264-410X

In the present study, we reported an attempt to improve the immunogenicity and protective capacity of the chimera BLSOmp31 using a different antigen delivery: DNA vaccination. Vaccination of BALB/c mice with the DNA vaccine coding for the chimera BLSOmp31 (pCIBLSOmp31) provided the best protection level against Brucella ovis, which was significantly higher than the given by the co-delivery of both plasmids coding for the whole proteins (pcDNABLS + pCIOmp31) and even higher than the control vaccine Rev.1. Moreover, pCIBLSOmp31 induced higher protection against Brucella melitensis than pcDNABLS + pCIOmp31 but similar protection than Rev.1. The chimera induced a strong humoral response against the inserted peptide. It also induced peptide- and BLS-specific cytotoxic T responses. The insertion of this peptide on BLS induced stronger T helper 1 responses specific for the carrier (BLS), thus our results represent a case of synergic strengthening between two Brucella antigens. Hitherto, this is the first indication that a recombinant subunit vaccine elicits greater protection than whole Brucella.