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<oai_dc:dc xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd">
  <dc:contributor>T.D. Powell</dc:contributor>
  <dc:contributor>R.S. Frank</dc:contributor>
  <dc:contributor>K. Moss</dc:contributor>
  <dc:contributor>E.J. Haanes</dc:contributor>
  <dc:contributor>S.R. Smith</dc:contributor>
  <dc:contributor>Tonie E. Rocke</dc:contributor>
  <dc:contributor>D.T. Stinchcomb</dc:contributor>
  <dc:creator>J.E. Osorio</dc:creator>
  <dc:date>2003</dc:date>
  <dc:description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Using a raccoon poxvirus (RCN) expression system, we have developed new recombinant vaccines that can protect mice against lethal plague infection. We tested the effects of a translation enhancer (EMCV-IRES) in combination with a secretory (tPA) signal or secretory (tPA) and membrane anchoring (CHV-gG) signals on in vitro antigen expression of F1 antigen in tissue culture and the induction of antibody responses and protection against&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;Yersinia pestis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;challenge in mice. The RCN vector successfully expressed the F1 protein of&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;Y. pestis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;in vitro. In addition, the level of expression was increased by the insertion of the EMCV-IRES and combinations of this and the secretory signal or secretory and anchoring signals. These recombinant viruses generated protective immune responses that resulted in survival of 80% of vaccinated mice upon challenge with&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;Y. pestis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span&gt;. Of the RCN-based vaccines we tested, the RCN-IRES-tPA-YpF1 recombinant construct was the most efficacious. Mice vaccinated with this construct withstood challenge with as many as 1.5 million colony forming units of&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;Y. pestis&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;(7.7×10&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;LD&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sub&gt;50&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;span&gt;). Interestingly, vaccination with F1 fused to the anchoring signal (RCN-IRES-tPA-YpF1-gG) elicited significant anti-F1 antibody titers, but failed to protect mice from plague challenge. Our studies demonstrate, in vitro and in vivo, the potential importance of the EMCV-IRES and secretory signals in vaccine design. These molecular tools provide a new approach for improving the efficacy of vaccines. In addition, these novel recombinant vaccines could have human, veterinary, and wildlife applications in the prevention of plague.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</dc:description>
  <dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
  <dc:identifier>10.1016/S0264-410X(02)00557-1</dc:identifier>
  <dc:language>en</dc:language>
  <dc:publisher>Elsevier</dc:publisher>
  <dc:title>Recombinant raccoon pox vaccine protects mice against lethal plague</dc:title>
  <dc:type>article</dc:type>
</oai_dc:dc>