Contribution of cells at the site of DNA vaccination to the generation of antigen-specific immunity and memory.

Gene gun-mediated DNA vaccination stimulates an immune response characterized by the activation of IgG-secreting B cells and IFN-gamma-secreting T cells. To monitor the contribution of cells at the site of vaccination to this process, transfected skin was periodically removed and grafted onto naive recipients. Immediate removal of vaccinated skin abrogated the development of an immune response. Low-level IgG production was stimulated when the vaccination site was left in place for > or = 5 h, with the strength of this response increasing the longer the site remained intact (for up to 2 wk). Measurable primary T cell responses were observed in animals whose vaccination site remained in place for > or = 1 day. Skin grafts transferred 0 to 24 h postvaccination stimulated a primary immune response in naive recipients. Memory B and T cells were generated in animals whose site of vaccination remained intact for 5 to 12 h. Skin transferred within 12 h of vaccination triggered memory B and T cell development in graft recipients, while the removal of skin >12 h postvaccination did not reduce memory in vaccinated mice. These findings suggest that 1) primary immunity is induced by cells that migrate rapidly from the site of immunization, 2) nonmigratory cells influence the magnitude of this primary response, and 3) migratory cells alone are responsible for the induction of immunologic memory.