Induction of protective immunity against rabies by immunization with rabies virus ribonucleoprotein.

Abstract

We have studied the ability of rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) to induce a protective immune response in animals against lethal challenge with rabies and rabies-related lyssa viruses. Liposomes containing either RNP or the glycoprotein (G protein) of a variant virus with multiple alterations in the G antigenic structure conferred no or poor protection, respectively, against lethal intracerebral challenge with rabies virus. By contrast, liposomes containing RNP and the variant G protein induced a good protective response, comparable to that achieved with inactivated virus vaccine against intracerebral challenge. Moreover, mice or raccoons immunized with RNP alone resisted lethal peripheral challenge with homologous or heterologous virus strains. These results indicate that the RNP of rabies virus plays a crucial role in induction of protective immunity.

• Authors: B Dietzschold, H H Wang, C E Rupprecht, E Celis, M Tollis, H Ertl, E Heber-Katz, H Koprowski
• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A) Vol. 84 Issue 24 Pg. 9165-9 (Dec 1987) ISSN: 0027-8424 [Print] United States
• PMID: 3480536 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Viral
• Antigens, Viral
• Oligopeptides
• Ribonucleoproteins
• Viral Vaccines

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Viral (biosynthesis)
• Antigens, Viral (immunology)
• Mice
• Neutralization Tests
• Oligopeptides (chemical synthesis, immunology)
• Rabies (prevention & control)
• Rabies virus (immunology)
• Raccoons
• Ribonucleoproteins (immunology)
• Vaccination
• Viral Vaccines (immunology)