A suicidal DNA vaccine expressing the fusion protein of peste des petits ruminants virus induces both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in mice

•A suicidal DNA vaccine against peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) was developed.•The suicidal DNA vaccine could express Fusion protein in transfected BHK-21 cells.•Specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were induced in immunized mice.•The results provide a new strategy to the development of vaccines against PPRV. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease induced by PPR virus (PPRV), affects sheep and goats. PPRV fusion (F) protein is important for the induction of immune responses against PPRV. We constructed a Semliki Forest virus (SFV) replicon-vectored DNA vaccine (“suicidal DNA vaccine”) and evaluated its immunogenicity in BALB/c mice. The F gene of PPRV was cloned and inserted into the SFV replicon-based vector pSCA1. The antigenicity of the resultant plasmid pSCA1/F was identified by indirect immunofluorescence and western blotting. BALB/c mice were then intramuscularly injected with pSCA1/F three times at 14-d intervals. Specific antibodies and virus-neutralizing antibodies against PPRV were quantified by indirect ELISA and microneutralization tests, respectively. Cell-mediated immune responses were examined by cytokine and lymphocyte proliferation assays. The pSCA1/F expressed F protein in vitro and induced specific and neutralizing antibody production, and lymphocyte proliferation in mice. Mice vaccinated with pSCA1/F had increased IL-2 and IL-10 levels after 24-h post first immunization. IFN-γ and TNF-α levels increased from that time point and gradually decreased thereafter. Thus, the Semliki Forest virus replicon-vectored DNA vaccine expressing the F protein of PPRV induced both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in mice. This could be considered as a novel strategy for vaccine development against PPR.