Abstract
Three recombinant vaccinia viruses containing different fragments of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) cDNA representing the 5′-noncoding region (5′NCR), all structural and part of the nonstructural regions were constructed. Western blot analysis showed that E and NS1 proteins were expressed and processed correctly in cells infected with recombinant viruses vC-NSl (coding for C-prM-E-NS1 region) and vC-NS3 (coding for C-prM-E-NS1-NS2A-NS2B-NS3 region). In contrast, in cells infected with recombinant virus v5′C-NS2A (coding for 5′NCR and C-prM-E-NS1-NS2A regions) expression of NS1 protein was greatly reduced and no E protein was detected. Immunization of mice with vC-NS3 induced high levels of TBEV-specific antibodies and protected them against intraperitoneal challenge with 10 7 LD 50 of TBEV. The level of protection was very similar to the level of protection achieved by immunization with commercially available inactivated TBEV vaccine. Although the immunization of mice with recombinants vC-NS1 and v5′C-NS2A induced much lower levels of TBEV-specific antibodies, they were still protected against intraperitoneal challenge with 10 4 and 10 3.6 LD 50 of TBEV, respectively. The high level of protection against TBEV infection achieved by the immunization of mice with the recombinant vaccinia virus vC-NS3 makes this virus a very attractive candidate for development of a live recombinant vaccine against TBEV.
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