title: Expression of the major core antigen VP7 of African horsesickness virus by a recombinant baculovirus and its use as a group-specific diagnostic reagent.
abstract: The major core protein, VP7, of African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV-4), the aetiological agent of a recent outbreak of the disease in southern Europe, was expressed in insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus containing a cloned copy of the relevant AHSV gene (S7). Analyses of its biochemical and antigenic properties confirmed the authenticity of the protein expressed. The high-level expression of VP7 under the control of the strong polyhedrin promoter of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus induced disc-shaped crystals in infected insect cells. This enabled us to purify the protein by a one-step ultracentrifugation procedure and to utilize it for the detection of antibodies raised in horses to various serotypes of AHSV. A serological relationship between AHSV and two other orbiviruses, bluetongue virus and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus, was also demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chuma
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Le Blois
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Vizcaíno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diaz-Laviada
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000355:African Horse Sickness / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000356:African Horse Sickness Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D012703:Serotyping; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069264:VP7 major core antigen, African horsesickness virus