Enhancement of Japanese Encephalitis Virus DNA vaccine efficacy by using Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis heat shock protein 65

Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito borne arboviral infection caused by Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV). It is the major cause of viral encephalitis in Asia and a leading cause of pediatric epidemic in India. In the present study we have developed a DNA vaccine with JEV Envelope protein (E) in cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter based vector. The efficacy of the DNA vaccine is evaluated by the use of heat shock protein 65 (HSP65) of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), which is a potential molecular adjuvant. The efficacy of the vaccine in combination with the HSP65 is evaluated by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). The adjuvant effect of HSP65 was analyzed both as a protein and a DNA when coimmunized in mice with JEV E DNA vaccine. The present study demonstrated that the efficacy of the JEV E DNA vaccine is enhanced in combination with HSP65 protein.