Immunopotentiation of the antibody response against influenza HA with apoptotic bodies generated by rabies virus G-ERA protein-driven apoptosis.

F Mégret , C Préhaud , M Lafage , C Batejat , N Escriou , S Lay , M I Thoulouze , M Lafon

Apoptosis is considered to be a way of eliminating unwanted cells without causing major inflammation. Nevertheless, several lines of evidence show that apoptotic cell-derived antigens can be strong immunogens. The rabies virus glycoprotein G-ERA is an apoptotic molecule. We tested the ability of G-ERA to potentiate a B cell response against an exogenous antigen (influenza hemagglutinin, HA). We found that co-expression of G-ERA and HA in apoptotic bodies increased both the primary and memory HA-specific immune responses. The immunopotentiation of G-ERA is apoptosis-mediated but not necrosis-mediated. Our data indicate that G-ERA-mediated apoptosis might be useful to improve the immunogenicity of live vaccines.

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Virology

F Mégret, C Préhaud, M Lafage, C Batejat, N Escriou, et al.. Immunopotentiation of the antibody response against influenza HA with apoptotic bodies generated by rabies virus G-ERA protein-driven apoptosis.. Vaccine, 2005, 23 (46-47), pp.5342-50. ⟨10.1016/j.vaccine.2005.06.027⟩. ⟨pasteur-00194658⟩