1. Cellular Immunogenicity of Novel Gene Immunogens in Mice Monitored by in Vivo Imaging
- Author
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Elizaveta Starodubova, Olga Krotova, David Hallengärd, Yulia Kuzmenko, Gunnel Engström, Diana Legzdina, Oleg Latyshev, Olesja Eliseeva, Anna Karin Maltais, Vera Tunitskaya, Vadim Karpov, Andreas Bråve, and Maria Isaguliants
- Subjects
Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Medical technology ,R855-855.5 - Abstract
The efficient cell-mediated immune response clears cells expressing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) immunogens, but there are no methods to monitor this in vivo. We hypothesized that immune-mediated clearance can be monitored in vivo if DNA immunogens are coexpressed with reporter(s). To test this, we designed genes encoding human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) fused via its N- or C-terminus to 30–amino acid-long Gly-Ala-repeat of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 or via the N-terminus to the transport signal of invariant chain/Ii or inserted between the cytoplasmic and luminal domains of lysosome-associated membrane protein I (LAMP). DNA immunogens mixed with luciferase gene were injected into BALB/c mice with subsequent electroporation. Reporter expression seen as luminescence was monitored by in vivo imaging. When luminescence faded, mice were sacrificed, and their splenocytes were stimulated with RT-derived antigens. Fading of luminescence correlated with the RT-specific secretion of interferon-γ and interleukin-2. Both immune and in vivo imaging techniques concordantly demonstrated an enhanced immunogenicity of RT-LAMP and of the N-terminal Gly-Ala-RT fusion genes. In vivo imaging performed as an animal-sparing method to estimate the overall performance of DNA immunogens, predicting it early in the experiment. So far, in vivo imaging cannot be a substitute for conventional immune assays, but it is supplementary to them. Further experiments are needed to identify which arms of cellular immune response in vivo imaging monitors best.
- Published
- 2012
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