Cellular and humoral immune responses to alphavirus replicon vaccines expressing cytomegalovirus pp65, IE1, and gB proteins

Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2007 Jun;14(6):748-55. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00037-07. Epub 2007 Apr 18.

Abstract

Development of vaccines against cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important public health priority. We used a propagation-defective, single-cycle RNA replicon vector system derived from an attenuated strain of an alphavirus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, to produce virus-like replicon particles (VRP) expressing various combinations of pp65, IE1, or gB proteins of human CMV. Protein expression in VRP-infected cells was highest with single-promoter replicons expressing pp65, IE1, a pp65/IE1 fusion protein, or the extracellular domain of gB and with double-promoter replicons expressing pp65 and IE1. Protein expression was lower with double- and triple-promoter replicons expressing gB, especially the full-length form of gB. BALB/c mice immunized with VRP expressing gB developed high titers of neutralizing antibody to CMV, and mice immunized with VRP expressing pp65, IE1, or a pp65/IE1 fusion protein developed robust antigen-specific T-cell responses as measured by gamma interferon enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Three overlapping immunodominant pp65 peptides contained a nine-amino-acid sequence (LGPISGHVL) that matches the consensus binding motif for a major histocompatibility complex H2-D(d) T-cell epitope. These data provide the basis for further development and clinical evaluation of an alphavirus replicon vaccine for CMV expressing the pp65, IE1, and gB proteins.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibody Formation*
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cytomegalovirus / immunology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immediate-Early Proteins / immunology*
  • Immunity, Cellular*
  • Immunization / methods
  • Immunization, Secondary
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Phosphoproteins / immunology*
  • Replicon / immunology*
  • Vero Cells
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology*
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / immunology*
  • Viral Proteins / immunology*
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology*

Substances

  • IE1 protein, cytomegalovirus
  • Immediate-Early Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Viral Envelope Proteins
  • Viral Matrix Proteins
  • Viral Proteins
  • Viral Vaccines
  • cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa
  • glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus