Title |
DNA vaccine coding for the full-length infectious Kunjin virus RNA protects mice against the New York strain of West Nile virus
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Published in |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, August 2003
|
DOI | 10.1073/pnas.1834270100 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Roy A. Hall, Debra J. Nisbet, Kim B. Pham, Alyssa T. Pyke, Greg A. Smith, Alexander A. Khromykh |
Abstract |
A plasmid DNA directing transcription of the infectious full-length RNA genome of Kunjin (KUN) virus in vivo from a mammalian expression promoter was used to vaccinate mice intramuscularly. The KUN viral cDNA encoded in the plasmid contained the mutation in the NS1 protein (Pro-250 to Leu) previously shown to attenuate KUN virus in weanling mice. KUN virus was isolated from the blood of immunized mice 3-4 days after DNA inoculation, demonstrating that infectious RNA was being transcribed in vivo; however, no symptoms of virus-induced disease were observed. By 19 days postimmunization, neutralizing antibody was detected in the serum of immunized animals. On challenge with lethal doses of the virulent New York strain of West Nile (WN) or wild-type KUN virus intracerebrally or intraperitoneally, mice immunized with as little as 0.1-1 microg of KUN plasmid DNA were solidly protected against disease. This finding correlated with neutralization data in vitro showing that serum from KUN DNA-immunized mice neutralized KUN and WN viruses with similar efficiencies. The results demonstrate that delivery of an attenuated but replicating KUN virus via a plasmid DNA vector may provide an effective vaccination strategy against virulent strains of WN virus. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 33 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 8 | 24% |
Researcher | 7 | 21% |
Student > Master | 4 | 12% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 2 | 6% |
Other | 2 | 6% |
Other | 4 | 12% |
Unknown | 6 | 18% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 11 | 33% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 4 | 12% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 3 | 9% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 2 | 6% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 2 | 6% |
Other | 3 | 9% |
Unknown | 8 | 24% |