The external primers used were 5′-CACGGTACCTCTTTCTTTATCG-3′ (KpnI restriction site underlined) and 5′-GGTTCTCTGCAGAGACATGC-3′ (PstI restriction site underlined). The internal primers responsible for introducing the mutation leading to the amino acid replacement

G33D were 5′-GAATCGATGGCAGATAAAAG-3′ and 5′-CTCTTTTATCTGCCATCGAT-3′. The amplification reactions were performed BMS907351 as described previously [39]. The resulting fragment was purified using a gel purification kit (Ilustra™ GFX™ PCR DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit, GE Healthcare), digested with restriction enzymes and then ligated into the corresponding KpnI and PstI sites of the linearized pBSPKS (−) vector [41], generating the recombinant plasmid pKSLTG33D. The pKSLTG33D plasmid was subsequently introduced into chemically competent E. coli DH5α bacteria. One bacterial clone carrying the correct plasmid was named LDVLTG33D. The correct sequence of the etxG33D gene was confirmed by DNA sequencing. LTG33D was purified by galactose-affinity

chromatography following a standard LT purification procedure [40]. Briefly, the LDVLTG33D lineage was cultivated in Terrific Broth (TB) [42], Veliparib price containing 200 μg/ml of ampicillin, overnight at 37 °C in an orbital shaker set at 200 rpm. Cells were suspended at a 10% (w/v) concentration in TEAN buffer (50 mM Tris; 1 mM EDTA; 3 mM azide-Na and 200 mM NaCl; pH 7.5) and lysed by mechanical shearing in an APLAB-10 homogenizer (ARTEPEÇAS, Brazil). The soluble extract was applied into

a XK 16/20 column (GE Amershan Biosciences) containing immobilized d-galactose gel (Pierce), extensively washed with TEAN buffer prepared with pyrogen-free water, and subsequently eluted with TEAN buffer containing 0.3 M GPX6 galactose. The final amount of LTG33D was determined in GeneQuant spectrophotometer (GE Amershan Biosciences). The purification of the DENV2 NS1 recombinant protein was achieved after denaturation/refolding steps of the protein expressed in bacterial cells and affinity chromatography, as previously reported [36]. Endotoxin levels in LTG33D and NS1 preparations were determined with the Chromogenic Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay (Cambrex Bio Science) [43]. The recombinant NS1 and LTG33D proteins were analyzed for purity and antigenicity by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Protein aliquots (2 μg) were sorted in 15% polyacrylamide gels after heat treatment (100 °C for 10 min) or kept at room temperature with sample buffer [36] and [44]. Standard ELISA assays were performed as previously described [36] and [45]. The recombinant NS1 protein was tested in the non-heated or in heat-denatured state with serum samples collected from a DENV2-infected individual (kindly supplied by Dr. Bergman M. Ribeiro, Brasília University, FD, Brazil). A serum sample generated after immunization of mice with heat-denatured (100 °C for 10 min) NS1 in FA after the same immunization regimen described bellow (Fig.