Open AccessInhibition of the Multiplication of Mycobacterium leprae by Vaccination with a Recombinant M. bovis BCG Strain That Secretes Major Membrane Protein II in Mice
Author(s) -
Yosuke Maeda,
Toshiki Tamura,
Masao Matsuoka,
Masahiko Makino
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
clinical and vaccine immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.649
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1556-6811
pISSN - 1556-679X
DOI - 10.1128/cvi.00203-09
Subject(s) - mycobacterium leprae , mycobacterium bovis , microbiology and biotechnology , recombinant dna , biology , vaccination , virology , interferon gamma , antigen , cd8 , inoculation , in vitro , mycobacterium tuberculosis , immunology , tuberculosis , leprosy , medicine , biochemistry , pathology , gene
The ability of a recombinantMycobacterium bovis BCG strain that secretes major membrane protein II (MMP-II) ofMycobacterium leprae (BCG-SM) to confer protection against leprosy was evaluated by use of a mouse footpad model. C57BL/6J mice intradermally inoculated with BCG-SM produced splenic T cells which secreted significant amounts of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in response to either the recombinant MMP-II, theM. leprae -derived membrane fraction, or the BCG-derived cytosolic fraction in vitro more efficiently than those from the mice infected with the vector control BCG strain (BCG-pMV, a BCG strain containing pMV-261). A higher percentage of CD8+ T cells obtained from BCG-SM-inoculated mice than those obtained from BCG-pMV-inoculated mice produced intracellular IFN-γ on restimulation with theM. leprae antigens. BCG-SM inhibited the multiplication ofM. leprae in the footpads of C57BL/6J mice more efficiently than BCG-pMV. These results indicate that a BCG strain that secretes MMP-II could be a better vaccine candidate for leprosy.