INDUCTION OF VIRUS-NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES BY IMMUNIZATION WITH Rachiplusia nu PER OS INFECTED WITH A RECOMBINANT BACULOVIRUS EXPRESSING THE E2 GLYCOPROTEIN OF BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS

FLORENCIA FERRER, SILVINA CHIMENO ZOTH, GABRIELA CALAMANTE, OSCAR TABOGA

JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS

Elsevier

Año: 2007 vol. 146 p. 424 - 427

0166-0934

This work describes the development of a novel protein expression system based on Rachiplusia nu larvae for the production of the recombinant E2 protein to be used as a vaccine candidate against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). A recombinant baculovirus (Ac-E2pol+) bearing the E2 glycoprotein coding sequence of BVDV was obtained. Fourth-instar Rachiplusia nu larvae were infected orally with recombinant polyhedra and the expression of E2 protein was confirmed by immunoblot. In order to test the recombinant product as a vaccine candidate, an immunization assay was performed and the neutralizing humoral immune response against BVDV NADL strain was evaluated. Mice vaccinated with Ac-E2pol+ extracts of per os infected larvae developed a neutralizing antibody titer of 3.16 after the administration of three doses of the immunogen. This report demonstrates the efficacy of per os-infected larval extracts as a BVDV recombinant immunogen which constitutes an easier and economic approach for producing recombinant antigens.