Infectious bursal disease virus structural proteins expressed in a baculovirus recombinant confer protection in chickens

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1993-06, Vol.74 (6), p.1201-1206
• Main Authors: Vakharia, Vikram N, Snyder, David B, He, Junkun, Edwards, Gerard H, Savage, Peter K, Mengel-Whereat, Stephanie A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibody Formation; Baculoviridae - genetics; baculovirus; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Capsid - genetics; Capsid - immunology; Capsid Proteins; Chickens; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Vectors - genetics; infectious bursal disease virus; Infectious bursal disease virus - immunology; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Neutralization Tests; Poultry Diseases - prevention & control; Protein Precursors - genetics; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Reoviridae Infections - prevention & control; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Viral Structural Proteins - genetics; Viral Structural Proteins - immunology; Virology
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-74-6-1201

1 Center for Agricultural Biotechnology of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and 2 VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, U.S.A. Plasmids were prepared that contained cDNA segments of the large genomic segment A of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) strain GLS-5. The genes encoding the IBDV structural proteins (VP2, VP3 and VP4) were introduced into the baculovirus transfer vector pBlueBacI to obtain a recombinant baculovirus vIBD-7. When insect cells were infected with recombinant viruses, the result was synthesis of IBDV precursor proteins which were processed by the viral protease. The recombinant IBDV antigens were characterized by immunoprecipitation with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and polyclonal antiserum to IBDV, and by antigen-capture ELISA using a panel of IBDV-specific MAbs. The recombinant IBDV antigens closely resembled the native IBDV proteins and reacted with all the GLS-5 strain-specific neutralizing MAbs that recognize only conformational epitopes of IBDV. When susceptible chickens were inoculated with the recombinant IBDV antigens, virus-neutralizing antibodies were induced that conferred up to 79% protection against IBDV challenge. Received 21 September 1992; accepted 19 January 1993.