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ABSTRACT. The genome of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) contains two major open reading frames, which have been shown to encode the virus capsid and replication-associated proteins. The capsid protein is a major structural protein of the virus; it can be a suitable target antigen for detecting PCV2-specific antibodies to monitor PCV2 infection. To produce the antigen, the capsid protein coding sequence was cloned into a baculovirus transfer vector, and a recombinant capsid (rC) protein of PCV2 was expressed as a combined fusion protein in frame with a C-terminal peptide of six histidines. The affinity-purified rC protein was used as coating antigen to develop an ELISA for detecting the virus-specific antibodies in swine sera. The rC protein-based ELISA (rcELISA) was evaluated by examining a panel of 49 PCV2-positive and 49 PCV2-negative swine sera. In comparative experiments of immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA) using 102 field sera, there was 89.2% coincidence between data obtained by the rcELISA and IPMA. The rcELISA achieved 88.5% specificity and 89.4% sensitivity for detection of PCV2 antibody in the field sera. The assay showed no cross-re activity with antibodies to PCV type 1, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine parvovirus. The results suggest that the rcELISA is suitable for routine serodiagnosis and epidemiological surveys of PCV2-associated diseases. KEY WORDS: ELISA, PCV2, recombinant capsid protein.

The Punta Toro virus (PTV) middle size (M) RNA encodes two glycoproteins, G1 and G2, and possibly a nonstructural protein, NSM. A partial cDNA clone of the M segment which contains G1 and G2 glycoprotein coding sequences but lacks most of the NSM sequences was inserted into the genome of vaccinia virus under the control of an early vaccinia promoter. Cells infected with the recombinant virus were found to synthesize two polypeptides with molecular weights of 65,000 (G1) and 55,000 (G2) that reacted specifically with antibody against PTV. Studies using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that these proteins accumulated intracellularly in the perinuclear region. The results of endoglycosidase H digestion of these glycoproteins suggested that both G1 and G2 glycoproteins were transported from the RER to the Golgi complex. These proteins were not chased out from the Golgi region during a 6-hr incubation in the presence of cycloheximide. Surface immune precipitation and 125I-protein A binding assays also demonstrated that the majority of the G1 and G2 glycoproteins are retained intracellularly. These results indicate that the PTV glycoproteins contain the necessary information for retention in the Golgi apparatus.

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