Abstract
The present study outlines the characterization of a DNA-based immune response against the OspC antigen, one of the most promising candidates for a Borrelia vaccine. Balb/c mice were injected intradermally with plasmid DNA encoding the OspC gene (lacking the natural leader sequence) under transcriptional control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promotor. Immunization with this construct elicited only a marginal response, which was drastically improved by a fusion construct containing the human tissue plasminogen activator (hTPA) signal sequence. The results indicate that for DNA-based immunization against OspC an ER-targeting signal may be necessary for both antibody production as well as cellular immune responses.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Antibodies, Bacterial / biosynthesis*
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Antigens, Bacterial*
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Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics*
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Base Sequence
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Borrelia / genetics
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Borrelia / immunology*
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DNA, Bacterial / immunology*
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Endoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
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Humans
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Immunity, Cellular
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Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
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Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
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Interleukin-4 / biosynthesis
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Mice
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Protein Sorting Signals / immunology*
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Spleen / immunology
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Spleen / metabolism
Substances
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Antibodies, Bacterial
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Antigens, Bacterial
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Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
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DNA, Bacterial
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Immunoglobulin G
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OspC protein
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Protein Sorting Signals
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Interleukin-4
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Interferon-gamma