Genetically Modified Rabies Virus Vector-Based Rift Valley Fever Virus Vaccine is Safe and Induces Efficacious Immune Responses in Mice
Shengnan Zhang,
Meng Hao,
Na Feng,
Hongli Jin,
Feihu Yan,
Hang Chi,
Hualei Wang,
Qiuxue Han,
Jianzhong Wang,
Gary Wong,
Bo Liu,
Jun Wu,
Yuhai Bi,
Tiecheng Wang,
Weiyang Sun,
Yuwei Gao,
Songtao Yang,
Yongkun Zhao,
Xianzhu Xia
Affiliations
Shengnan Zhang
College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Meng Hao
Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) and Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing 100021, China
Na Feng
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Hongli Jin
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Feihu Yan
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Hang Chi
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Hualei Wang
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Qiuxue Han
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Jianzhong Wang
Animal Science and Technology College, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Gary Wong
Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 20031, China
Bo Liu
Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
Jun Wu
Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
Yuhai Bi
CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Tiecheng Wang
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Weiyang Sun
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Yuwei Gao
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Songtao Yang
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Yongkun Zhao
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Xianzhu Xia
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130000, China
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), which causes Rift Valley fever (RVF), is a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen that causes serious morbidity and mortality in livestock and humans. RVF is a World Health Organization (WHO) priority disease and, together with rabies, is a major health burden in Africa. Here, we present the development and characterization of an inactivated recombinant RVFV and rabies virus (RABV) vaccine candidate (rSRV9-eGn). Immunization with rSRV9-eGn stimulated the production of RVFV-specific IgG antibodies and induced humoral and cellular immunity in mice but did not induce the production of neutralizing antibodies. IgG1 and IgG2a were the main isotypes observed by IgG subtype detection, and IgG3 antibodies were not detected. The ratios of IgG1/IgG2a > 1 indicated a Type 2 humoral immune response. An effective vaccine is intended to establish a long-lived population of memory T cells, and mice generated memory cells among the proliferating T cell population after immunization with rSRV9-eGn, with effector memory T cells (TEM) as the major population. Due to the lack of prophylactic treatment experiments, it is impossible to predict whether this vaccine can protect animals from RVFV infection with only high titres of anti-RVFV IgG antibodies and no neutralizing antibodies induced, and thus, protection confirmation needs further verification. However, this RVFV vaccine designed with RABV as the vector provides ideas for the development of vaccines that prevent RVFV and RABV infections.
