Antigenic Subversion: A Novel Mechanism of Host Immune Evasion by Ebola Virus
Figure 2
Immunogenicity of EBOV GP editing site mutants.
(A) Immunization study design. Female BALB/C mice were immunized with the four editing site mutant constructs in the pCAGGS vector. Mice were vaccinated IM with 50 µg of DNA (25 µg/leg) according to the schedule shown. (B) Antibody response against GP1,2. (C) Antibody response against sGP. The levels of antibody response induced by EBOV GP DNA constructs in mice were measured by ELISA using His-GP1,2 or His-sGP as coating antigen. Antibody concentration was determined from a standard curve and expressed as µg/mL of anti-GP IgG. Asterisks indicate statistically significant difference between groups and P-values are given in red. (D) Comparison of antibody levels against GP1,2 and sGP induced by each EBOV GP DNA construct. Average titers of anti-GP1,2 (blue) and anti-sGP (red) antibodies within immunization groups are shown for comparison of the GP isoform reactivity profiles both within and between immunization groups. Asterisks indicate statistically significant differences between anti-GP1,2 and anti-sGP titers within groups, as measured by paired, two-tailed Student's t-test (* = p<0.05, ** = p<0.001).