Route of administration of chimeric BPV1VLP determines the character of the induced immune responses

To examine the mucosal immune response to papillomavirus virus-like particles (PV-VLP), mice were immunized with VLP intrarectally (i.r.), intravaginally (i.va.) or intramuscularly (i.m.) without adjuvant. PV-VLP were assembled with chimeric BPV-1 L1 proteins incorporating sequence from HIV-1 gp 120, either the V3 loop or a shorter peptide incorporating a known CTL epitope (HIVP18I10). Antibody specific for BPV-1 VLP and P18 peptide was detected in serum following i.m., but not i.r. or i.va. immunization. Denatured VLP induced a much reduced immune response when compared with native VLP, Immune responses following mucosal administration of VLP were generally weaker than following systemic administration. VLP specific IgA was higher in intestine washes following i.r. than i.va. immunization, and higher in vaginal washes following i.m. than i.r. or i.va. immunization. No differences in specific antibody responses were seen between animals immunized with BPV-1 P18 VLP or with BPV-1 V3 VLP. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors specific for the P18 CTL epitope were recovered from the spleen following i.m., i.va. or i.r. immunization with P18 VLP, and were similarly detected in Peyer's patches following i.m. or i.r. immunization. Thus, mucosal or systemic immunization with PV VLP induces mucosal CTL responses and this may be important for vaccines for mucosal infection with human papillomaviruses and for other viruses.

Phylogenetic revision of the flightless Australian genus Apterotheca Gebien (Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae : Coelometopinae)

Members of the flightless genus Apterotheca Gebien (Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae) are mostly restricted to the high elevation rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area of north-eastern Australia. This region has been recognised as an 'epicentre of evolution for low vagility animals'. The genus Apterotheca is the most diverse low vagility insect taxon known in this region. Forty-four species are included here in a revision of the genus. Three of these species were previously included in Apterotheca (A. antaroides (Pascoe), A. besti (Blackburn) and A. punctipennis Carter), four were previously included in other genera (A. australis (Kulzer), comb. nov. and A. punctifrons (Gebien), comb. nov. in Apterophenus Gebien, A. costata (Buck), comb. nov. in Caxtonana Buck and A. pustulosa (Carter), comb. nov. in Austropeus Carter) and 37 are new. The monotypic genera Austropeus Carter, syn. nov. and Caxtonana Buck, syn. nov. are proposed as new synonyms of Apterotheca. A lectotype for A. punctipennis and A. besti are designated. A key to the species of Apterotheca and a phylogenetic analysis based on the morphological features of adults, as well as a discussion of character evolution, are also included. Data presented here represent the framework for future studies on the determinants of the patterns of diversity found in the Wet Tropics.