Induction of rotavirus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes by vaccinia virus recombinants expressing individual rotavirus genes.

We determined the capacity of vaccinia virus recombinants expressing individual rotavirus genes to induce virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in mice. Mice were orally inoculated with vaccinia virus recombinants containing genes which encode rotavirus outer capsid proteins vp4 or vp7, single-shelled virus proteins vp1, vp2, or vp6, or rotavirus nonstructural proteins NS53, NS35, NS28, or NS26/NS12. We found that (i) the greatest frequencies of virus-specific CTLs were induced by vaccinia virus recombinants expressing vp7, (ii) transport of vp7 beyond the endoplasmic reticulum was not necessary for induction of CTLs, (iii) recombinants expressing vp7 induced CTLs which reacted with different rotavirus serotypes, and (iv) CTLs were induced among both intestinal and nonintestinal lymphocytes after oral inoculation. These findings may be relevant to vaccine strategies which utilize vectors expressing individual rotavirus genes.