Evaluation of protective effect of pVAX-TgMIC13 plasmid against acute and chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection in a murine model

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Zi-Guo Yuan^a ; ^b ; ¹ ; ^{ziguoyuan@scau.edu.cn} ; Di Ren^a ; ^b ; ¹ ; Dong-Hui Zhou^a ; Xiu-Xiang Zhang^b ; Eskild Petersen^c ; Xiu-Zhen Li^b ; Yang Zhou^a ; Gui-Lian Yang^d ; Xing-Quan Zhu^a ; ^e ; ^{xingquanzhu@hotmail.com}
• 关键词：Toxoplasma gondii ; Toxoplasmosis ; Micronemal protein 13 ; pVAX-TgMIC13 ; Protective immunity ; Vaccine
• 刊名：Vaccine
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：28 June, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：31
• 期：31
• 页码：3135-3139
• 全文大小：918 K

文摘

Toxoplasma gondii is a significant zoonotic parasite which can cause congenital infection and abortion in warm-blooded animals and humans. Microneme protein 13 (MIC13) plays an important role in attachment and penetration of the host cell by T. gondii. In this study, a DNA vaccine expressing mic13 of T. gondii was constructed and its protective efficacy was evaluated in Kunming L615^H2k mice. Immunization with pVAX-TgMIC13 induced a strong immune responses demonstrated by significant lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production and antibody responses. Immunized mice showed increased survival time (21.3 ¡À 11.3 days) and reduced number of cysts in brain of mice (57.14 % ) after challenge with tachyzoites of the virulent T. gondii RH strain and cysts of the T. gondii PRU strain, respectively, demonstrating that T. gondii MIC13 is a potential vaccine candidate, worth being included in future vaccine development against acute and chronic T. gondii infection.