The VP2 protein of highly virulent infectious bursal disease virus (hvIBDV) carries major neutralizing epitopes which is able to induce host neutralizing antibodies. This feature makes VP2 as a suitable target protein for the development of subunit vaccine. Plant viral-based expression system has been identified as a potential system that is capable to express foreign proteins in plants. The present study was aimed at developing a vaccine candidate for the hvIBDV by constructing a chimeric plant virus of Potato virus X (PVX) that capable of expressing the VP2 gene of hvIBDV in Nicotiana tabacum. Western blot analyses indicated the VP2 protein was expressed either as a 50 kDa protein or fused with the PVX coat protein of 80 kDa. Dot blot analysis of rat serum immunized with the VP2 protein from total soluble protein showed positive signal when immunoreacted against the hvIBDV antigen. Immunization of the expressed VP2 protein in specific-pathogenfree (SPF) chickens revealed detection of anti-VP2 analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Keywordshighly virulent infectious bursal disease virus, VP2 protein, Potato virus X, Nicotiana tabacum, neutralizing antibodiesI.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.