Establishment of serological test to detect antibody against ferret coronavirus

• Published in: Journal of Veterinary Medical Science Vol. 78; no. 6; pp. 1013 - 1017
• Main Authors: MINAMI, Shohei, TERADA, Yutaka, SHIMODA, Hiroshi, TAKIZAWA, Masaki, ONUMA, Mamoru, OTA, Akihiko, OTA, Yuichi, AKABANE, Yoshihito, TAMUKAI, Kenichi, WATANABE, Keiichiro, NAGANUMA, Yumiko, KANAGAWA, Eiichi, NAKAMURA, Kaneichi, OHASHI, Masanari, TAKAMI, Yoshinori, MIWA, Yasutsugu, TANOUE, Tomoaki, OHWAKI, Masao, OHTA, Jouji, UNE, Yumi, MAEDA, Ken
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan JAPANESE SOCIETY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 01.01.2016; Japan Science and Technology Agency; The Japanese Society of Veterinary Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Coronavirus; Coronavirus - immunology; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - immunology; Coronavirus Infections - veterinary; Coronavirus Infections - virology; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Female; ferret coronavirus (FRCoV); Ferrets - virology; Immunoblotting - veterinary; Male; Mustela putorius furo; nucleocapsid (N); Virology
• ISSN: 0916-7250; 1347-7439; 1347-7439
• DOI: 10.1292/jvms.16-0059

Since there is no available serological methods to detect antibodies to ferret coronavirus (FRCoV), an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using recombinant partial nucleocapsid (N) proteins of the ferret coronavirus (FRCoV) Yamaguchi-1 strain was developed to establish a serological method for detection of FRCoV infection. Many serum samples collected from ferrets recognized both a.a. 1–179 and a.a. 180–374 of the N protein, but two serum samples did not a.a. 180–374 of the N protein. This different reactivity was also confirmed by immunoblot analysis using the serum from the ferret.Therefore, the a.a. 1–179 of the N protein was used as an ELISA antigen. Serological test was carried out using sera or plasma of ferrets in Japan. Surprisingly, 89% ferrets in Japan had been infected with FRCoV. These results indicated that our established ELISA using a.a. 1–179 of the N protein is useful for detection of antibody to FRCoV for diagnosis and seroepidemiology of FRCoV infection.