A recombinant subunit vaccine based on the insertion of 27 aminoacids from Omp31 to the N-terminus of BLS induced a similar degree of protection against B. ovis than Rev-1 vaccination

CASSATARO, J., PASQUEVICH, K. A., ESTEIN, S. M. , LAPLAGNE, D., VELIKOVSKY, C. A., DE LA BARRERA, S., BOWDEN, R. A., FOSSATI, C. A., GIAMBARTOLOMEI, G. H. AND GOLDBAUM, F. A.

VACCINE

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2007 vol. 25 p. 4437 - 4446

0264-410X

The development of an effective subunit vaccine against brucellosis is a research area of intense interest. The enzyme lumazine synthase fromBrucella spp. (BLS) is highly immunogenic, presumably due to its decameric arrangement and remarkable stability. In this work we decidedto develop a chimera with the scaffold protein BLS decorated with 10 copies of a known protective epitope derived from an outer membraneprotein of 31 kDa (Omp31) from Brucella spp. Vaccination of BALB/c mice with the chimera as a recombinant protein (rBLSOmp31)provided the best protection level against Brucella ovis, which was higher than the given by the co-delivery of both recombinant proteins(rBLS + rOmp31) and similar than the control vaccine Brucella melitensis strain Rev.1. Moreover rBLSOmp31 induced protection againstBrucella melitensis but to a lesser degree than Rev.1. The chimera induced a strong humoral response against the inserted peptide. It alsoinduced peptide- and BLS-specific T helper 1 and cytotoxic T responses. In conclusion, our results indicate that BLSOmp31 could be a usefulcandidate for the development of subunit vaccines against brucellosis since it elicits humoral, T helper and cytotoxic immune responses andprotection against smooth and rough species of Brucella.