Article
Combination of E- and NS1-Derived DNA Vaccines: The Immune Response and Protection Elicited in Mice against DENV2
Registro en:
PINTO, Paolla Beatriz A. et al. Combination of E- and NS1-Derived DNA Vaccines: The Immune Response and Protection Elicited in Mice against DENV2. Viruses, v. 14, 1452, p. 1 - 22, June 2022.
1999-4915
10.3390/ v14071452
Autor
Pinto, Paolla Beatriz A.
Barros, Tamiris A. C.
Lima, Lauro M.
Pacheco, Agatha R.
Assis, Maysa L.
Pereira, Bernardo A. S.
Gonçalves, Antônio J. S.
Azevedo, Adriana S.
Ferreira, Ana Gisele C. Neves
Costa, Simone M.
Alves, Ada M. B.
Resumen
The occurrence of dengue disease has increased radically in recent decades. Previously,
we constructed the pE1D2 and pcTPANS1 DNA vaccines encoding the DENV2 envelope (E) and
non-structural 1 (NS1) proteins, respectively. To decrease the number of plasmids in a tetravalent
candidate vaccine, we constructed a bicistronic plasmid, pNS1/E/D2, encoding these two proteins
simultaneously. We evaluated the protective immunity induced in mice vaccinated with the
pNS1/E/D2 candidate and compared to the responses elicited by immunization with the former
vaccines isolated or in combination. We transfected BHK-21 cells with the different plasmids and
detected recombinant proteins by immunofluorescence and mass spectrometry assays to confirm
antigen expression. BALB/c mice were inoculated with the DNA vaccines followed by a lethal
DENV2 challenge. ELISA, PRNT50, and IFN-gamma ELISPOT assays were performed for the investigation
of the humoral and cellular responses. We observed the concomitant expression of NS1
and E proteins in pNS1/E/D2-transfected cells. All E-based vaccines induced anti-E and neutralizing
antibodies. However, anti-NS1 antibodies were only observed after immunization with the
pcTPANS1 administered alone or combined with pE1D2. In contrast, splenocytes from pNS1/E/D2-
or pcTPANS1 + pE1D2-vaccinated animals responded to NS1- and E-derived synthetic peptides. All
the DNA vaccines conferred protection against DENV2.