Recombinant occlusion bodies of baculovirus as carriers of a non-structural protein of foot-and-mouth disease virus

Abstract

Here, we developed a diagnostic ELISA for foot-and-mouth disease using recombinant occlusion bodies (rOBs) of baculovirus. We fused Δ3AB 1-3 , a polypeptide derived from non-structural proteins of foot-and-mouth disease virus, to polyhedrin (POLH), the major constituent of OBs, under polh promoter. To further assess the most convenient strategy to improve yields, we designed two recombinant baculoviruses, vPOLH and vPOLH E44G. These carried the sequence of the fusion protein POLH-Δ3AB 1-3 with an additional copy in cis of polh or polh E44G , respectively, under p10 promoter. Our results show that both viruses expressed POLH-Δ3AB 1-3 , which was detected by western blot in purified rOBs with anti-POLH and anti-3AB1 antibodies. We also found that vPOLH E44G produced larger polyhedra and a significant increase of antigen yield (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the chimeric protein POLH-Δ3AB 1-3 was recognized by sera from experimentally infected animals, showing that translational fusion to POLH does not alter the antigenicity of Δ3AB 1-3. Finally, the rOBs were successfully used in an ELISA test to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals. Taken together, these results demonstrate the great potential of rOBs to develop diagnostic schemes adaptable to animal infectious diseases.

Displaying enhancing factors on the surface of occlusion bodies improves the insecticidal efficacy of a baculovirus

“…In the current study, we expressed the polyhedrin under the control of the p10 promoter and found that OBs could be formed regularly. Similar results have been observed in other studies . As the pep promoter of AcMNPV has not been identified, we expressed the pepNM‐enhancing factor fusions under the control of the strong promoter of polyhedrin , and the enhancing factors were expressed efficiently (Fig.…”

“…Similar results have been observed in other studies. 17,21,37 As the pep promoter of AcMNPV has not been identified, we expressed the pepNM-enhancing factor fusions under the control of the strong promoter of polyhedrin, and the enhancing factors were expressed efficiently ( Fig. 3(b)).…”

An ambient-temperature stable nanoparticle-based vaccine for nasal application that confers long-lasting immunogenicity to carried antigens

“…The fusion of antigens from baculovirus to the occlusion bodies have also been attempted. Several antigens such as herpesvirus II ( 13 ), Mycobacterium bovis ( 14 ), porcine circovirus type 2 ( 15 ), foot-and-mouth disease virus ( 16 ), and many others ( 17 ) have been fused to the wild type polyhedrin gene to generate recombinant occlusion bodies. Mice immunized with the recombinant polyhedras produced antibodies that recognize the pathogen, and in some studies prevent the disease ( 15 , 18 ).…”