Construction, phenotypic analysis, and immunogenicity of a UL5/UL29 double deletion mutant of herpes simplex virus 2

J Virol. 2000 Sep;74(17):7963-71. doi: 10.1128/jvi.74.17.7963-7971.2000.

Abstract

A number of studies have shown that replication-defective mutant strains of herpes simplex virus (HSV) can induce protective immunity in animal systems against wild-type HSV challenge. However, all of those studies used viruses with single mutations. Because multiple, stable mutations provide optimal levels of safety for live vaccines, we felt that additional mutations needed to be engineered into a candidate vaccine strain for HSV-2 and genital herpes. We therefore isolated an HSV-2 strain with deletion mutations in two viral DNA replication protein genes, UL5 and UL29. The resulting double deletion mutant virus strain, dl5-29, fails to form plaques or to give any detectable single cycle yields in normal monkey or human cells. Nevertheless, dl5-29 expresses nearly the same pattern of gene products as the wild-type virus or the single mutant viruses and induces antibody titers in mice that are equivalent to those induced by single deletion mutant viruses. Therefore, it is feasible to isolate a mutant HSV strain with two mutations in essential genes and with an increased level of safety but which is still highly immunogenic.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Gene Deletion*
  • Herpesvirus 2, Human / genetics*
  • Herpesvirus 2, Human / metabolism
  • Herpesvirus 2, Human / physiology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Phenotype
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Vero Cells
  • Viral Plaque Assay
  • Viral Proteins / analysis
  • Viral Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Viral Proteins / genetics*
  • Viral Proteins / immunology
  • Viral Vaccines / biosynthesis
  • Viral Vaccines / genetics*
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • UL29 protein, Herpes simplex virus type 2
  • Viral Proteins
  • Viral Vaccines