2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Characterization of recombinant equine herpesvirus 1 including immuno-stimuratory sequences.
Project/Area Number |
11660302
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
Basic veterinary science/Basic zootechnical science
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Research Institution | Rakuno Gakuen University |
Principal Investigator |
KIRISAWA Rikio Rakuno Gakuen University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Associate Professor., 獣医学部, 助教授 (70153252)
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Project Period (FY) |
1999 – 2000
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Keywords | Equine herpesvirus 1 / Cytokine / DNA adjuvant / Recombinant virus |
Research Abstract |
Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) has long been causally implicated in the occurrence of abortion, respiratory disease, neonatal deaths and neurological disorders in horses. Outbreaks of abortion due to EHV-1 have been observed almost every year and causes severe economic loss in the horse breeding industry. In attempts to prevent an abortion caused by EHV-1 infection, inactivated vaccine was applied to pregnant mares but with little efficacy. It was suggested that an importance for the role of cellular immunity in defense against EHV-1 infection, particularly abortion. We obtained an attenuated BK320 strain after serial 320 passages of virulent EHV-1 in bovine kidney cell cultures as a live modified vaccine strain. However, in horses inoculated experimentally with BK320, protection against challenge with virulent EHV-l was not elicited. We planed to construct recombinant EHV-1 to elicit cellular immunity effectively by adding DNA adjuvant (immunostimulatory oligonucleotide) and immune regulatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL) 2, IL-12 and interferon-gamma on genetically attenuated EHV-1 genome. First, we obtained a quadruple glycoprotein (gD,gE,gI and gp 2)-deleted virus mutant that could produce infectious virions only on cells expressing the four glycoproteins. Therefore, this mutant could not produce infectious virus under natural conditions and might not cause a latent infection in horse. Now, we have been screening the recombinant viruses carrying the DNA adjuvant or equine IL-2, IL-12 and interferon-gamma genes.
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