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1 p., Background. The main objective of this work is the development of a DNA vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus based on the non-replicative antibiotic resistance marker gene-free the plasmid vector pPAL., Methods. We designed pPAL-Sfs and pPAL-structural protein constructs. A PCR cloning procedure was carried out to obtain the pPAL-based recombinant vaccine and laboratory-scale batches of pPAL-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine constructs were produced. Transfection was performed on the human HEK293 cell line with the pPAL-based recombinant vaccine. Expression was evaluated by Western blot. Evaluation of protection experiments against a lethal dose of 105 pfu of SARS-CoV-2 (Wuhan-Hu-1 and Delta strains) in K18-hACE2 female mice vaccinated intramuscularly with a prime/boost regimen was carried out by assessing both humoral and cellular immune responses. ELISA was used to evaluate humoral immunity, namely total IgG, as well as IgG1 and IgG2c subclasses. The cellular immune response was evaluated by quantifying the rate of IFN-γ producing splenocyte clones used ELISpot. In addition, characterization of the cellular response was carried out by intracellular staining (ICS) to identify of the rate of IFN-γ and TNF-α producing TCD4+ lymphocytes, as well as the proportion of TCD8+ lymphocytes. Determination of viral load in the main target organs was done by RT-PCR (lungs, heart, and brain). Virus replication capacity was also evaluated in target organs tissues. In vitro assays were performed out to determine the levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus., Results. The results show 100% protection of vaccinated animals in terms of symptomatology, animal weight, level of neutralizing antibodies against the virus and the rate of IFN-γ and TNF-α producing splenocyte clones. The analysis of IgG subclasses shows a predominance of IgG2c over IgG1, indicating the activation of a specific and cytotoxic Th1 protective cellular immune response and immunological memory. Finally, a reduction of viral load has been observed in vaccinated animals, with a clear reduction of virus replication in the main target organs. Furthermore, there is a synergistic effect increasing protection using the two plasmids p-PALSfs + pPAL-structural protein (under patent)., Conclusions. The DNA vaccine pPAL-Sfs + pPAL-structural protein is fully protective in the mouse model in terms of maintenance of body weight, absence of significant clinical signs, viral load clearance in target organs and immune response. The immune response included neutralizing antibodies, predominance of IgG2c over IgG1 ratio, a Th1 response, and a multifunctional cytotoxic cellular response.

17 p.-8 fig., SARS-CoV-2 vaccines currently in use have contributed to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding, the high mutation rate, fundamentally in the spike glycoprotein (S), is causing the emergence of new variants. Solely utilizing this antigen is a drawback that may reduce the efficacy of these vaccines. Herein we present a DNA vaccine candidate that contains the genes encoding the S and the nucleocapsid (N) proteins implemented into the non-replicative mammalian expression plasmid vector, pPAL. This plasmid lacks antibiotic resistance genes and contains an alternative selectable marker for production. The S gene sequence was modified to avoid furin cleavage (Sfs). Potent humoral and cellular immune responses were observed in C57BL/6J mice vaccinated with pPAL-Sfs + pPAL-N following a prime/boost regimen by the intramuscular route applying in vivo electroporation. The immunogen fully protected K18-hACE2 mice against a lethal dose (105 PFU) of SARS-CoV-2. Viral replication was completely controlled in the lungs, brain, and heart of vaccinated mice. Therefore, pPAL-Sfs + pPAL-N is a promising DNA vaccine candidate for protection from COVID-19., This work was funded by PTI-Salud Global (CSIC), Center for Technological and Industrial Development (CDTI), REACT-ANTICIPA-UCM (Comunidad de Madrid), and European Research Council (Advanced Grant VERDI, ERC2015AdG grant number 694160).

17 Pág. Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Viral infections have long provided a platform to understand the workings of immunity. For instance, great strides towards defining basic immunology concepts, such as MHC restriction of antigen presentation or T-cell memory development and maintenance, have been achieved thanks to the study of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infections. These studies have also shaped our understanding of antiviral immunity, and in particular T-cell responses. In the present review, we discuss how bluetongue virus (BTV), an economically important arbovirus from the Reoviridae family that affects ruminants, affects adaptive immunity in the natural hosts. During the initial stages of infection, BTV triggers leucopenia in the hosts. The host then mounts an adaptive immune response that controls the disease. In this work, we discuss how BTV triggers CD8+ T-cell expansion and neutralizing antibody responses, yet in some individuals viremia remains detectable after these adaptive immune mechanisms are active. We present some unpublished data showing that BTV infection also affects other T cell populations such as CD4+ T-cells or γδ T-cells, as well as B-cell numbers in the periphery. This review also discusses how BTV evades these adaptive immune mechanisms so that it can be transmitted back to the arthropod host. Understanding the interaction of BTV with immunity could ultimately define the correlates of protection with immune mechanisms that would improve our knowledge of ruminant immunology., This work was funded by grants RTI2018-094616-B-100 from the Ministerio de Ciencia (Spain) and S2018/BAA-4370-PLATESA2 from Comunidad de Madrid (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER). MA was funded by an FPI grant (BES-2013-066406). ALL was funded by an FPI grant (INIA).