Synthesis of fusion proteins with multiple copies of an antigenic determinant of foot-and-mouth disease virus

• Published in: Gene Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 189 - 197
• Main Authors: BROEKHUIJSEN, M. P, BLOM, T, VAN RIJN, J, POUWELS, P. H, KLASEN, E. A, FASBENDER, M. J, ENGER-VALK, B. E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier 1986; Amsterdam; New York, NY
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; antigenic determinants; Antigens, Viral - biosynthesis; Antigens, Viral - genetics; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Aphthovirus - genetics; Aphthovirus - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Capsid - biosynthesis; Capsid - genetics; Capsid - immunology; cloning; Epitopes - genetics; Epitopes - immunology; Escherichia coli - metabolism; foot-and-mouth disease virus; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene expression; gene fusion; gene products; genes; Health. Pharmaceutical industry; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Production of active biomolecules; Rabbits; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - biosynthesis; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; transformation; Vaccins; Vaccine; Recombinant DNA; Antigenic determinant; Hybrid gene
• ISSN: 0378-1119; 1879-0038
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(86)90279-9

A series of four expression plasmids coding for fusion proteins containing foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) sequences was constructed. The fusion proteins contain a large part of beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli preceded (N-terminal) by 1, 2, 4 or 8 repeats of the antigenic determinant of FMDV consisting of amino acids 137-162 of the capsid polypeptide VP1. All four fusion proteins were efficiently produced in E. coli host bacteria. Immunization of rabbits resulted in FMDV-specific, neutralizing antibodies, the response being dependent on the number of repeats. With enzyme-linked immunosorbent-assay techniques it was shown that the FMDV antigenic determinants are exposed on the surface of the fusion proteins under non-denaturing conditions.