title: Baculovirus expression of the nucleoprotein gene of measles virus and utility of the recombinant protein in diagnostic enzyme immunoassays.
abstract: A recombinant baculovirus that expresses the nucleoprotein gene of measles virus (Edmonston vaccine strain) under the transcriptional control of the polyhedrin promoter was generated. The expressed protein (B-MVN) comigrated with the authentic viral nucleoprotein as observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and it was phosphorylated. The B-MVN protein proved to be reactive with monoclonal antibodies in radioimmunoprecipitations, and it was immunogenic, eliciting in mice antisera that recognized the native nucleoprotein. In addition, the B-MVN protein was evaluated as a replacement source of antigen for whole virus in enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for detection of measles virus-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies. A capture IgM EIA with the B-MVN protein as antigen detected specific IgM antibodies in 18 (72%) acute- and all convalescent-phase specimens from 25 clinical measles cases and exceeded 99% specificity with 120 control specimens. An indirect IgG EIA with the B-MVN protein detected specific IgG antibodies in 129 of 131 (98%) serum specimens with antibodies to measles virus, and results obtained from testing 268 additional serum specimens were better correlated with measles virus-neutralizing antibodies than those obtained with a commercial EIA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Erdman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bellini
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D015870:Gene Expression; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008457:Measles / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008459:Measles virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins