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BackgroundBovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) is the causative agent of respiratory and genital tract infections; causing a high economic loss in all continents. Use of marker vaccines in IBR eradication programs is widely accepted since it allows for protection of the animals against the disease while adding the possibility of differentiating vaccinated from infected animals.The aim of the present study was the development and evaluation of safety and efficacy of a glycoprotein E-deleted (gE-) BoHV-1 marker vaccine strain (BoHV-1ΔgEβgal) generated by homologous recombination, replacing the viral gE gene with the β-galactosidase (βgal) gene.ResultsIn vitro growth kinetics of the BoHV-1ΔgEβgal virus was similar to BoHV-1 LA. The immune response triggered by the new recombinant strain in cattle was characterized both as live attenuated vaccine (LAV) and as an inactivated vaccine. BoHV-1ΔgEβgal was highly immunogenic in both formulations, inducing specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Antibody titers found in animals vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine based on BoHV-1ΔgEβgal was similar to the titers found for the control vaccine (BoHV-1 LA). In the same way, titers of inactivated vaccine groups were significantly higher than any of the LAV immunized groups, independently of the inoculation route (p < 0.001). Levels of IFN-γ were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in those animals that received the LAV compared to those that received the inactivated vaccine. BoHV-1ΔgEβgal exhibited an evident attenuation when administered as a LAV; no virus was detected in nasal secretions of vaccinated or sentinel animals during the post-vaccination period. BoHV-1ΔgEβgal, when used in either formulation, elicited an efficient immune response that protected animals against challenge with virulent wild-type BoHV-1. Also, the deletion of the gE gene served as an immunological marker to differentiate vaccinated animals from infected animals. All animals vaccinated with the BoHV-1ΔgE βgal strain were protected against disease after challenge and shed significantly less virus than control calves, regardless of the route and formulation they were inoculated.ConclusionsBased on its attenuation, immunogenicity and protective effect after challenge, BoHV-1ΔgEβgal virus is an efficient and safe vaccine candidate when used either as inactivated or as live attenuated forms.

Galectin-8 (Gal-8) is a mammalian β-galactoside-binding lectin, endowed with proinflammatory properties. Given its capacity to enhance antigen-specific immune responses in vivo, we investigated whether Gal-8 was also able to promote APC activation to sustain T cell activation after priming. Both endogenous [dendritic cells (DCs)] and bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) treated with exogenous Gal-8 exhibited a mature phenotype characterized by increased MHC class II (MHCII), CD80, and CD86 surface expression. Moreover, Gal-8-treated BMDCs (Gal-8-BMDCs) stimulated antigen-specific T cells more efficiently than immature BMDCs (iBMDCs). Proinflammatory cytokines IL-3, IL-2, IL-6, TNF, MCP-1, and MCP-5, as well as growth factor G-CSF, were augmented in Gal-8-BMDC conditioned media, with IL-6 as the most prominent. Remarkably, BMDCs from Gal-8-deficient mice ( BMDC) displayed reduced CD86 and IL-6 expression and an impaired ability to promote antigen-specific CD4 T cell activation. To test if Gal-8-induced activation correlates with the elicitation of an effective immune response, soluble Gal-8 was coadministrated with antigen during immunization of BALB/cJ mice in the experimental foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) model. When a single dose of Gal-8 was added to the antigen formulation, an increased specific and neutralizing humoral response was developed, sufficient to enhance animal protection upon viral challenge. IL-6 and IFN-γ, as well as lymphoproliferative responses, were also incremented in Gal-8/antigen-immunized animals only at 48 h after immunization, suggesting that Gal-8 induces the elicitation of an inflammatory response at an early stage. Taking together, these findings argue in favor of the use of Gal-8 as an immune-stimulator molecule to enhance the adaptive immune response.

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