Immune response and protective effect against spring viremia of carp virus induced by intramuscular vaccination with a SWCNTs-DNA vaccine encoding matrix protein

To elicit the immune protective of vaccine against the highly contagious and pathogenic disease caused by spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV), a novel functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were applied as a delivery vehicle for DNA vaccine. In this study, we report a SWCNTs-DNA vaccine encoding matrix protein of SVCV which, when injected in the muscle at a dose of 10 μg SWCNTs-pcDNA-M vaccine, confers up to 51.3% protection against intraperitoneal challenge with SVCV. In addition, SWCNTs as a promising vehicle can enhance about 17.5% of the immune protective effect in SWCNTs-pcDNA-M vaccinated common carp compared with fish injected with naked pcDNA-M DNA vaccine. In addition, serum antibody production, none specific immunity parameters (complement activity, superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), acid phosphatase activity (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase activity (AKP)) and immune-related genes were used to verify the enhancement immune response induced in SWCNTs-pcDNA-M vaccinated fish, herein all these mentioned immune activities were significantly enhanced after immunization. Thereby, it is revealed that the M gene of SVCV could be used as an antigen for DNA vaccine constructs, and SWCNTs could be a candidate DNA vaccine carrier to enhance the immunological response against fish disease.