CpG motif in ATCGAT hexamer improves DNA-vaccine efficiency against lethal Pseudorabies virus infection in pigs

This study evaluated the adjuvant activity of a porcine-specific type A CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) in a DNA-vaccine against Pseudorabies virus (PrV) infection. This vaccine, composed of three independent plasmids encoding PrV gB, gC and gD glycoproteins, was injected alone or was co-injected with CpG-ODN or control GpC-ODN. CpG-ODN improved the PrV-specific humoral immune response and provided better clinical protection against lethal PrV-infection. The PrV-specific cell-mediated immune response seemed also to be increased.