Effect of CpG methylation on isotype and magnitude of antibody responses to influenza hemagglutinin-expressing plasmid.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Effect of CpG methylation on isotype and magnitude of antibody responses to influenza hemagglutinin-expressing plasmid.

DNA Cell Biol. 1999 Sep;18(9):663-70. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99420146
Feltquate DM; Robinson HL; Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical; School, Worcester, USA.

Abstract: We previously showed that intramuscular saline DNA immunizations favor the development of an IgG2a-dominant Th1 immune response, whereas gene gun DNA immunizations stimulate the production of an IgG1-dominant Th2 immune response. Several studies have implicated immunostimulatory CpG sequences as the causative factor in the development of Th1 immune responses to saline DNA immunization. To determine whether the Th1 cytokine-inducing properties of CpG sequences in plasmid DNA (pDNA) were responsible for the induction of a Th1 immune response, in vitro methylated and untreated (nonmethylated) hemagglutinin-expressing pDNA were compared for immunogenicity. Methylation abrogated the immunostimulatory activity of pDNA for cultured splenocytes and significantly reduced antigen expression. However, methylation of pDNA was not associated with a change from the induction of IgG2a to IgG1. After immunization with the methylated plasmid, the magnitude of the immune response was reduced. However, the decline in the total antibody response matched the decline in antigen expression. The dose of DNA or the presence of lipopolysaccharide in pDNA likewise did not affect the preferential development of an IgG2a antibody response. Our findings reveal that high levels of CpG sequences are not required for raising IgG2a-predominant, Thl-biased immune responses to intramuscular injections of hemagglutinin-expressing DNA.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Animal Antibodies, Viral/*BIOSYNTHESIS Cells, Cultured *CpG Islands DNA/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE *DNA Methylation Female Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus/GENETICS/*IMMUNOLOGY Lipopolysaccharides Mice Mice, Inbred BALB C *Plasmids Promoter Regions (Genetics) Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Th1 Cells/IMMUNOLOGY
991230
A99C1084

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