Construction of Neospora caninum stably expressing TgSAG1 and evaluation of its protective effects against Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 28; no. 45; pp. 7243 - 7247
• Main Authors: Zhang, Guohong, Huang, Xiaohong, Boldbaatar, Damdinsuren, Battur, Banzragch, Battsetseg, Badgar, Zhang, Houshuang, Yu, Longzheng, Li, Yan, Luo, Yuzi, Cao, Shinuo, Goo, Youn-Kyong, Yamagishi, Junya, Zhou, Jinlin, Zhang, Shoufa, Suzuki, Hiroshi, Igarashi, Ikuo, Mikami, Takeshi, Nishikawa, Yoshifumi, Xuan, Xuenan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 21.10.2010; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Antigens, Protozoan - genetics; Antigens, Protozoan - immunology; Female; Immune system; Immunity, Humoral; Immunization; Immunodominant Epitopes - genetics; Immunodominant Epitopes - immunology; Infections; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neospora - genetics; Neospora caninum; Parasites; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - immunology; Protozoan Vaccines - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Recombinant vaccine; TgSAG1; Th1 Cells - immunology; Toxoplasma - immunology; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - immunology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - prevention & control; Transfection; Vaccines; Vector; TgSAG1; Toxoplasma gondii; Vector; Recombinant vaccine; Neospora caninum
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.08.096

Abstract Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related apicomplexan parasites. The surface antigen 1 of T. gondii (TgSAG1) is a major immunodominant antigen and, therefore, is considered to be a good candidate for the development of an effective recombinant vaccine against toxoplasmosis. In this study, N. caninum stably expressing the TgSAG1 gene (Nc/TgSAG1) was constructed using pyrimethamine-resistant DHFR-TS and GFP genes as double-selection markers. The expression level, molecular weight, and antigenic property of recombinant TgSAG1 expressed by the Nc/TgSAG1 were similar to those of the native TgSAG1. The mice immunized with Nc/TgSAG1 induced TgSAG1-specific Th1-dominant immune responses and protected the mice from a lethal challenge infection with T. gondii . These results indicate that N. caninum may provide a new tool for the production of a live recombinant vector vaccine against toxoplasmosis in animals. To our knowledge, this is the first report to evaluate the usefulness of N. caninum -based live vaccine.