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Infection and Immunity, December 1999, p. 6358-6363, Vol. 67, No. 12
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Complete Protection against Lethal Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Mice Immunized with a Plasmid Encoding the SAG1 Gene

Henrik Vedel Nielsen,1,* Sanne Lise Lauemøller,2 Lone Christiansen,1 Søren Buus,2 Anders Fomsgaard,3 and Eskild Petersen1

Department of Mycobacteria and Parasitology1 and Department of Virology,3 Statens Serum Institut, and Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen,2 Copenhagen, Denmark

Received 13 July 1999/Returned for modification 16 August 1999/Accepted 13 September 1999

Infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is transmitted to humans from infected animals by tissue cysts and oocysts excreted by cats. Immunization with inactivated parasites or recombinant proteins has at best shown partial protection. We constructed a plasmid expressing the SAG1 surface antigen of T. gondii, p1tPASAG1, and showed that animals immunized with the plasmid produce anti-SAG1 antibodies which recognize the native SAG1. Mice immunized with p1tPASAG1 showed 80 to 100% protection against challenge with the non-cyst-producing, virulent RH isolate, compared to an 80% mortality in mice immunized with empty plasmid, which is the greatest efficacy of any vaccine against T. gondii produced so far. The SAG1 molecule was analyzed for potential cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes, and four peptides with the best fit were synthesized. The ability of the peptides to stimulate gamma interferon production by CD8+ T cells from p1tPASAG1-immunized mice was tested in an ELISPOT assay, and one new CTL epitope was identified. Adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells from p1tPASAG1-immunized to naïve mice showed partial protection. In conclusion, DNA vaccination with p1tPASAG1 gave effective protection in mice against T. gondii infection and the protection could be adoptively transferred by purified CD8+ T cells.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Mycobacteria and Parasitology, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK 2300 Copenhagen S., Denmark. Phone: 45 3268 3603. Fax: 45 3268 3033. E-mail: hvn{at}ssi.dk.

Infection and Immunity, December 1999, p. 6358-6363, Vol. 67, No. 12
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 1999 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.