Coxsackievirus expression of the murine secretory protein interleukin-4 induces increased synthesis of immunoglobulin G1 in mice.

We cloned the sequence encoding murine interleukin-4 (mIL-4), including the secretory signal, into the genome of CVB3/0, an artificially attenuated strain of coxsackievirus B3, at the junction of the capsid protein 1D and the viral protease 2Apro. Two strains of chimeric CVB3 were constructed using, in one case, identical sequences to encode 2Apro cleavage sites (CVB3/0-mIL4/47) on either side of the inserted coding sequence and, in the other case, nonidentical sequences that varied at the nucleotide level without changing the amino acid sequences (CVB3-PL2-mIL4/46). Transfection of HeLa cells yielded progeny viruses that replicated with rates similar to that of the parental CVB3/0 strain, although yields of mIL-4-expressing strains were approximately 10-fold lower than those of the parental virus. Western blot analysis of viral proteins isolated from HeLa cells inoculated with either strain of chimeric virus demonstrated that the chimeric viruses synthesized capsid protein 1D at approximately twofold-higher levels than the parental virus. mIL-4 protein was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in HeLa cells inoculated with either strain of chimeric virus. Lysates of HeLa cells inoculated with either chimeric virus induced the proliferation of the mIL-4-requiring murine MC-9 cell line, demonstrating biological activity of the CVB3-expressed mIL-4. Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis of viral RNA derived from sequential passaging of CVB3/0-mIL4/47 in HeLa cells demonstrated deletion of the mIL-4 coding sequence occurring by the fourth passage, while similar analysis of CVB3-PL2-mIL4/46 RNA demonstrated detection of the mIL-4 coding sequence in the virus population through 10 generations in HeLa cells. mIL-4 protein levels determined by ELISA were consistent with the stability and loss data determined by RT-PCR analysis of the passaged viral genomes. Studies of insert stability of CVB3-PL2-mIL4/46 during replication in mice showed the presence of the viral mIL-4 insert in pancreas, heart, and liver at 14 days postinfection. Comparison of the murine antibody responses to CVB3-PL2-mIL4/46 and the parental CVB3/0 strain demonstrated an increased level of CVB3-binding serum immunoglobulin G1 in mice inoculated with CVB3-PL2-mIL4/46.