• Vaccine Name: B. abortus subunit vaccine using L7/L12
• Target Pathogen: Brucella spp.
• Target Disease: Brucellosis
• Vaccine Ontology ID: VO_0000323
• Type: Subunit vaccine
• Antigen: B. abortus ribosomal protein L7/L12 (Oliveira et al., 1996).
• B. abortus strain 19 L7/L12 gene engineering:
  • Type: Recombinant protein preparation
  • Description: Recombinant Brucella abortus L7/Ll2 ribosomal protein was fused to maltose binding protein (MBP). The detail is described (Oliveira et al., 1996).
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• Preparation: The recombinant Brucella abortus L7/L12 ribosomal protein was fused to maltose binding protein (MBP). The animals vaccinated with MBP-L7/L12 received 25 mg of the specific B. abortus L7/L12 ribosomal protein. Different protein concentrations per dose containing the same MBP amounts were used to vaccinate each group to ensure that both mouse groups received the same amount of MBP (Oliveira et al., 1996).
• Virulence: None

Mouse Response

• Host Strain: BALB/c
• Vaccination Protocol: Five groups of 15 BALB/c mice were immunized intraperitoeally with 0.2 ml of the following treatments: either phosphate-buffered saline (PBS); Immuneplus adjuvant system; adjuvant containing 75 micrograms of maltose binding protein (MBP); 4 adjuvant containing 100 micrograms of MBP-L7/L12 fusion protein; or B. abortus strain 19 (Oliveira et al., 1996).
• Immune Response: There was a specific antibody response from animals immunized with recombinant MBP-L7/L12 fusion protein. Serum samples from mice immunized with MBP-L7/L12 contained anti-MBP and anti-L7/L12 antibodies. No anti-MBP-L7/L12 antibodies were detected in the sera of naive mice used as a negative control (Oliveira et al., 1996).
• Challenge Protocol: Mice were challenged one week after their final immunization (day 28) with an i.v. injection of 1 x 10^6 c.f.u. B. abortus in 100 microliters of sterile phosphate buffer saline (Oliveira et al., 1996).
• Efficacy: Three immunizations with 100 micrograms of the recombinant L7/L12 ribosomal protein fused to MBP protected mice against B. abortus infection, while vaccination with 75 micrograms of MBP alone resulted in no protection. The recombinant L7/L12 protein engendered substantial protective immunity to BALB/c mice against challenge when compared to the protection levels conferred to mice vaccinated with B. abortus S19. The greatest levels of protection observed in immunized mice were at 2 and 4 weeks post-challenge (Oliveira et al., 1996). The irrelevant Escherichia coli protein (MBP) does not protect mice against brucellosis (Oliveira et al., 1996).

Mouse Response

• Host Strain: BALB/C
• Vaccination Protocol: Three intra-muscular vaccinations of DNA vaccine encoding L7/L12 protein at 3 week intervals.(Abtahi et al., 2008)
• Immune Response: Activation of Th1 cell response. (Abtahi et al., 2008)
• Efficacy: Lower bacterial cfu from vaccinated mice in comparison with control groups show the efficiency of L7/L12 DNA vaccination in mice model. (Abtahi et al., 2008)
• Host Ifng (Interferon gamma) response
  • Description: Splenic lymphocytes from L7/L12pCDNA3-vaccinated mice produced high levels of IFNy (3100 pg mL(-1)) 3 weeks post-vaccination. (Abtahi et al., 2008)
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• Host Ighg1 response
  • Description: IgG1 titers induced post-immunization with L7/L12pCDNA3 vaccine. (Abtahi et al., 2008)
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• Host Ighv1-9 response
  • Description: L7/L12pCDNA3 immunizations elicited high IgG2a isotype response in mice immunized (Abtahi et al., 2008)
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• Host Il5 response
  • Description: Splenic lymphocytes from L7/L12pCDNA3-vaccinated mice produced low levels of IL-5 (300 pg mL(-1)) 3 weeks post-vaccination. (Abtahi et al., 2008)
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.