0000000000512477
AUTHOR
Candida O. De Souza
Rotavirus-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Recognize Overlapping Epitopes in the Amino-Terminal Region of the VP7 Glycoprotein
Abstract Rotavirus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play an important role in the resolution of rotavirus infection. The outer capsid glycoprotein, VP7, elicits a class I MHC-restricted CTL response. Vaccinia virus recombinants expressing the VP7 genes from simian rotavirus SA11 (serotype G3) and from the RF strain of bovine rotavirus (serotype G6) were used to analyze the CTL activity to this antigen in BALB/c (H-2 d ) and C57BL/6 (H-2 b ) mice neonatally infected with homologous and heterologous rotaviruses. A vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the first amino-terminal 88 amino acids of VP7 was constructed and used to search for cross-reactive CTL against this region of the prote…
Homotypic Protection Against Rotavirus-Induced Diarrhea in Infant Mice Breast-Fed by Dams Immunized with the Recombinant VP8* Subunit of the VP4 Capsid Protein
The outer capsid proteins VP4 and VP7 induce neutralizing antibody against rotavirus. We have investigated in a mouse model the protection mediated by immunization with VP8*, the amino-terminal tryptic fragment of VP4. BALB/c female mice immunized with simian rotavirus SA11 VP6 and VP8* proteins expressed in Escherichia coli were mated with seronegative males. Litters were orally challenged with the SA11 strain (P5B[2], G3) or with the murine rotavirus strain EDIM (P10[16], G3) to verify the degree of protection against diarrhea induced in the newborns. Only those pups born to dams immunized with VP8* did not develop diarrhea after having been orally challenged with the SA11 strain. Pups bo…