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Infection and Immunity, June 2000, p. 3286-3289, Vol. 68, No. 6
Department of Biomedical Sciences and
Pathobiology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases,
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Received 10 December 1999/Returned for modification 10 February
2000/Accepted 20 March 2000
Brucella abortus strain RB51 is an attenuated rough
strain that is currently being used as the official live vaccine for
bovine brucellosis in the United States and several other countries. We
reasoned that overexpression of a protective antigen(s) of B. abortus in strain RB51 should enhance its vaccine efficacy. To
test this hypothesis, we overexpressed Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD)
protein of B. abortus in strain RB51. This was accomplished by transforming strain RB51 with a broad-host-range plasmid, pBBR1MCS, containing the sodC gene along with its promoter. Strain
RB51 overexpressing SOD (RB51SOD) was tested in BALB/c mice for its ability to protect against challenge infection with virulent strain 2308. Mice vaccinated with RB51SOD, but not RB51, developed antibodies and cell-mediated immune responses to Cu/Zn SOD. Strain RB51SOD vaccinated mice developed significantly (P < 0.05)
more resistance to challenge than those vaccinated with strain RB51
alone. The presence of the plasmid alone in strain RB51 did not alter
its vaccine efficacy. Also, overexpression of SOD did not alter the attenuation characteristic of strain RB51.
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Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Overexpression of Protective Antigen as a Novel
Approach To Enhance Vaccine Efficacy of Brucella abortus
Strain RB51
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Center for
Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, 1410 Prices Fork Rd.,
Blacksburg, VA 24061. Phone: (540) 231-7757. Fax: (540) 231-3426. E-mail: rvemulap{at}vt.edu.
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