Fusion proteins with multiple copies of the major antigenic determinant of foot-and-mouth disease virus protect both the natural host and laboratory animals

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1987-12, Vol.68 (12), p.3137-3143
• Main Authors: Broekhuijsen, M.P, Rijn, J.M.M. van, Blom, A.J.M, Pouwels, P.H, Enger-Valk, B.E, Brown, F, Francis, M.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; antigens; Antigens - immunology; Antigens, Viral - genetics; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Aphthovirus; Aphthovirus - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Epitopes; foot-and-mouth disease; Foot-and-Mouth Disease - prevention & control; foot-and-mouth disease virus; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guinea Pigs; hosts; laboratory animals; Microbiology; Neutralization Tests; proteins; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Swine; vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - immunology; Virology
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-68-12-3137

1 Medical Biological Laboratory TNO, P.O. Box 45, 2280 AA Rijswijk, The Netherlands and 2 Wellcome Biotechnology Limited, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, GU24 0NQ, U.K. Proteins consisting of one, two or four copies of the amino acid sequence 137 to 162, which contains the major immunogenic site of VP1 of foot-and-mouth disease virus, attached to the N-terminus of -galactosidase have been expressed in Escherichia coli cells. In guinea-pigs the protein containing one copy (P71) of the viral determinant elicited only low levels of neutralizing antibody whereas protective levels were elicited by the proteins containing two (P72) or four (P74) copies of the determinant. Single inoculations of the P72 and P74 proteins containing as little as 2 µg or 0.8 µg of peptide respectively were sufficient to protect all the animals against challenge infection. Moreover, the equivalent of 40 µg of peptide in P74 protected pigs against challenge infection after one inoculation. Keywords: foot-and-mouth disease virus, fusion protein, immunogenic peptide Received 22 July 1987; accepted 20 August 1987.