Pea‐derived vaccines demonstrate high immunogenicity and protection in rabbits against rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus

Abstract

SummaryVaccines against rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) are commercially produced in experimentally infected rabbits. A genetically engineered and manufactured version of the major structural protein of RHDV (VP60) is considered to be an alternative approach for vaccine production. Plants have the potential to become an excellent recombinant production system, but the low expression level and insufficient immunogenic potency of plant-derived VP60 still hamper its practical use. In this study, we analysed the expression of Rabbits immunized with pea-derived CTB::VP60 showed anti-VP60-specific antibodies, similar to RikaVacc ® -immunized rabbits, and survived RHDV challenge.

Transgenic crops for the production of recombinant vaccines and anti-microbial antibodies

“…63,82,83 Rabbits were also protected against rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus A by feeding them a virus antigen expressed in pea seeds. 84 Passive immunization by mucosal application has also been attempted using plant-derived antibodies, including the HSV and S. mutans antibodies described above, and the anti-HIV microbicide being developed by the Pharma-Planta consortium. Although the lead product in the Pharma-Planta project is being produced in tobacco because the higher number of seeds per plant…”

Gene Transfer in Legumes

“…Plant-derived pharmaceuticals can be used against various human diseases, including cancer (Pujol et al 2007), hepatitis B and C, measles, cholera or AIDS (Floss et al 2008), as well as for veterinary purposes. In peas, there are several reports about pea-derived vaccines against rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (Mikschofsky et al 2009 Puonti- Kaerlas et al (1992) in pigs (Novoplant 2007; http://www.gmo-safety.eu) and coccidiosis in chickens (Zimmerman et al 2009). For efficient and large-scale production of recombinant proteins in plants, transient expression by agroinfection has a number of advantages over stable transformation, as simple manipulation, rapid analysis and high expression efficiency are possible.…”

The use of legume seed for expression and storage of high value proteins

“…The 35S promoter was also used to express adhesin fanC in soybean (Piller et al 2005) or cholera toxin B fused to VP60 in pea (Mikschofsky et al 2009). And while strong expression levels of about 0.7% TSP in pea or 0.5% TSP in soybean have been reported in the leaf tissue, much lower levels of antigen (0.004% of TSP) accumulated in the seed.…”

“…And while strong expression levels of about 0.7% TSP in pea or 0.5% TSP in soybean have been reported in the leaf tissue, much lower levels of antigen (0.004% of TSP) accumulated in the seed. However, even such a low dose of antigen was sufficient to achieve effective immunization (Mikschofsky et al 2009;Mikschofsky & Broer 2012).…”