Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2407314 | Vaccine | 2007 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
To regulate the expression of the apoptotic gene, we constructed bicistronic DNA vaccines that encode for HIV env and caspase-3 mutant (casp 3m) that are expressed via the encephalomyocarditis virus internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) or cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-dependent translations. While IRES-casp 3m induced weak apoptosis and caused little reduction in antigen expression, CMV-casp 3m elicited strong apoptosis and led to a marked decrease in the antigen expression. Therefore, IRES-casp 3m augmented HIV-specific immune responses, and IRES-casp 3m induced significant protection against the vaccinia-HIV chimeric virus. These results suggest that the appropriate level of apoptosis is important for DNA vaccine development.
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Authors
Yoshitsugu Kojima, Nao Jounai, Fumihiko Takeshita, Masatoshi Nakazawa, Kentaro Okuda, Setsuko Watabe, Ke-Qin Xin, Kenji Okuda,