Venezuelan and western equine encephalitis virus E1 liposome antigen nucleic acid complexes protect mice from lethal challenge with multiple alphaviruses

Authors

• Amber B. Rico, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. Electronic address: amber.rico@colostate.edu.
• Aaron T. Phillips, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
• Tony Schountz, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
• Donald L. Jarvis, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
• Ronald B. Tjalkens, Department of Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences, CSU, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
• Ann M. Powers, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
• Ken E. Olson, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Eastern, Venezuelan and western equine encephalitis viruses (EEEV, VEEV, and WEEV) are mosquito-borne viruses that cause substantial disease in humans and other vertebrates. Vaccines are limited and current treatment options have not proven successful. In this report, we vaccinated outbred mice with lipid-antigen-nucleic acid-complexes (LANACs) containing VEEV E1+WEEV E1 antigen and characterized protective efficacy against lethal EEEV, VEEV, and WEEV challenge. Vaccination resulted in complete protection against EEEV, VEEV, and WEEV in CD-1 mice. Measurements of bioluminescence and plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs) indicate that LANAC VEEV E1+WEEV E1 vaccination is sterilizing against VEEV and WEEV challenge; whereas immunity to EEEV is not sterilizing. Passive transfer of rabbit VEEV E1+WEEV E1 immune serum to naive mice extended the mean time to death (MTD) of EEEV challenged mice and provided significant protection from lethal VEEV and WEEV challenge.

Keywords

Alphavirus, Bioluminescence, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, In vivo imaging, Subunit vaccine, Togaviridae, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Western equine encephalitis virus

Medical Subject Headings

Alphavirus (immunology); Alphavirus Infections (immunology, mortality, prevention & control, virology); Animals; Antibodies, Viral (immunology); Antigens, Viral (administration & dosage, genetics, immunology); Cell Line; Cross Reactions (immunology); Disease Models, Animal; Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine (genetics, immunology, pathogenicity); Encephalitis Virus, Western Equine (genetics, immunology, pathogenicity); Female; Gene Expression; Genes, Reporter; Immunity, Humoral; Immunization; Liposomes; Mice; Nucleic Acids; Sequence Homology; Viral Proteins (administration & dosage, genetics, immunology); Virulence (genetics); Virus Replication

Publication Date

12-1-2016

Publication Title

Virology

E-ISSN

1096-0341

Volume

499

First Page

30

Last Page

39

PubMed ID

27632563

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.virol.2016.08.023

Recommended Citation

Rico, Amber B.; Phillips, Aaron T.; Schountz, Tony; Jarvis, Donald L.; Tjalkens, Ronald B.; Powers, Ann M.; and Olson, Ken E., "Venezuelan and western equine encephalitis virus E1 liposome antigen nucleic acid complexes protect mice from lethal challenge with multiple alphaviruses" (2016). Translational Neuroscience. 2578.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurobiology/2578