1. Characterization of West Nile virus live vaccine candidates attenuated by capsid deletion mutations.
- Author
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Schlick P, Kofler RM, Schittl B, Taucher C, Nagy E, Meinke A, and Mandl CW
- Subjects
- Animals, Antibodies, Viral blood, Female, Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests, Mice, Mice, Inbred BALB C, RNA, Viral genetics, Sequence Deletion, Virulence, West Nile Fever immunology, West Nile Virus Vaccines genetics, West Nile virus pathogenicity, Capsid Proteins genetics, West Nile Fever prevention & control, West Nile Virus Vaccines immunology, West Nile virus genetics
- Abstract
Protein C deletion mutants of West Nile virus (WNV) were evaluated for their potential use as live virus vaccine candidates in vivo. Double and triple mutants carrying small deletions and second-site point mutations, as well as mutants with large deletions of 36 and 37 amino acid residues were tested in a stringent mouse challenge model. The mutant viruses were found to be non-pathogenic and to induce protective immunity in a wide range of inoculation doses (10(1)-10(6)FFU). Furthermore, the effects of combining three different previously identified resuscitating point mutations, as well as the combination of a large protein C deletion with a deletion mutation in the 3' non-coding region were studied. The data indicate that the production of safe and efficacious WNV live vaccines based on protein C deletion mutations is feasible.
- Published
- 2010
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