Figure 2.

Novel dimeric NA-based APC-targeting DNA vaccine elicits protective anti-NA antibodies in vivo

Vaccine DNA plasmids were engineered as three-component fusion constructs encoding (1) an APC-targeting unit (svFv-MHC II), (2) a dimerization unit containing either the acid or base (A/B) component of a modified Jun/Fos leucine zipper motif, and (3) a dimeric antigen unit encoding the ectodomain of N1 from H1N1 virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34/Mount Sinai. Following immunization of mice, in vivo expression and dimerization of A/B-fused NA targeted to MHC II resulted in the induction of NA-based, Ab-mediated protection against homologous virus through a mechanism considered to enhance B cell receptor (BCR) cross-linking. Figure created with BioRender.com.