Research

Genetic immunization with Hantavirus vaccine combining expression of G2 glycoprotein and fused interleukin-2

Huang Hao^1,3 , Li Xiu² , Zhang Zehua¹ , Jia Min¹ , Hu Hongbo¹ , Wu Zhihong¹ , Zhu Zhenhua¹ , Wan Xiaohong¹ and Huang Hanju¹

¹  Department of Pathogentic Biology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan city 430030, PR China

²  Department of Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan city 430030, PR China

³  Center of Experimental Medicine, Wuhan first hospital, Wuhan city 430022, PR China

author email corresponding author email

Genetic Vaccines and Therapy 2008, 6:15doi:10.1186/1479-0556-6-15

Published:	22 October 2008

Abstract

In this research, we developed a novel chimeric HTNV-IL-2-G2 DNA vaccine plasmid by genetically linking IL-2 gene to the G2 segment DNA and tested whether it could be a candidate vaccine. Chimeric gene was first expressed in eukaryotic expression system pcDNA3.1 (+). The HTNV-IL-2-G2 expressed a 72 kDa fusion protein in COS-7 cells. Meanwhile, the fusion protein kept the activity of its parental proteins. Furthermore, BALB/c mice were vaccinated by the chimeric gene. ELISA, cell microculture neutralization test in vitro were used to detect the humoral immune response in immunized BALB/c mice. Lymphocyte proliferation assay was used to detect the cellular immune response.- The results showed that the chimeric gene could simultaneously evoke specific antibody against G2 glycoprotein and IL-2. And the immunized mice of every group elicited neutralizing antibodies with different titers. Lymphocyte proliferation assay results showed that the stimulation indexes of splenocytes of chimeric gene to G2 and IL-2 were significantly higher than that of other groups. Our results suggest that IL-2-based HTNV G2 DNA can induce both humoral and cellular immune response specific for HTNV G2 and can be a candidate DNA vaccine for HTNV infection.