Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (2): 803-813.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.02.029

• Preventive Veterinary Medicine • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Construction and Characterization of Transcription Vectors for Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus mRNA Vaccines

LU Na(), GAO Yu, ZHAO Jiawei, SU Di, CHEN Jialei, LUO Zhongli*()   

  1. College of Basic Medical Sciences, Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
  • Received:2024-04-01 Online:2025-02-23 Published:2025-02-26
  • Contact: LUO Zhongli E-mail:lunar@stu.cqmu.edu.cn;Zhongliluo@163.com

Abstract:

This study aimed to design an mRNA vaccine vector for feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) and evaluate the immunogenicity of the transcribed FIPV mRNA vaccines. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of FIPV was selected, and its sequence was optimized, Using CureVac's mRNA technology platform, appropriate non-coding sequence, signal peptide sequences, and poly A tails were chosen. The synthesized target sequence was cloned into the pBluescript Ⅱ KS(+) vector, linearized by a single enzyme digestion, and transcribed in vitro to synthesize mRNA encoding the FIPV N gene. The transcribed mRNA sequence was capped, purified, and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. In vitro transfection assays were used to verify the expression of antigen proteins in cells. Subsequently, mice were immunized with the FIPV N-mRNA vaccine and their humoral and cellular immune responses were assessed. Agarose gel electrophoresis confirmed the successful preparation of a stable single mRNA sequence using the designed mRNA transcription vector. After transfection into cells, the target antigen protein could be expressed stably within 12-24 hours. ELISA results showed a robust humoral immune response to the FIPV N-mRNA vaccine in mice, with significantly higher levels of specific antibodies, IL-4, and TNF-α compared to the control groups. Elispot assay results demonstrated significantly higher levels of IFN-γ secreted by spleen cells in the FIPV N-mRNA group compared to the control groups. The mRNA vaccine transcribed by the vector targeting the FIPV N protein efficiently expressrs the desired protein in cells and exhibits good immunogenicity, eliciting both humoral and cellular immune response in mice. The FIPV N-mRNA vaccine may be a preparation of mRNA transcription vector provides important reference value for the design and development of mRNA vaccines against infectious diseases.

Key words: feline infectious peritonitis virus, nucleocapsid protein, mRNA vaccines, in vitro transcription vectors

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