title: Rabies virus nucleoprotein expressed in and purified from insect cells is efficacious as a vaccine.
abstract: A cDNA copy of the RNA gene that encodes the nucleoprotein N of rabies virus Evelyn-Rokitnicki-Abelseth strain was cloned into baculovirus. The recombinant baculovirus expressed the N protein abundantly in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. The N protein was extracted from infected Spodoptera frugiperda cells and purified to near homogeneity by affinity chromatography. The purified N protein reacted with 31 of 32 monoclonal antibodies that recognize native rabies virus ribonucleoprotein. Like the ribonucleoprotein, the purified N protein was a major antigen capable of inducing virus-specific helper T cells. Priming of mice with the purified N protein prior to a booster inoculation with inactivated Evelyn-Rokitnicki-Abelseth virus vaccine resulted in a 20-fold increase in the production of virus-neutralizing antibodies. After immunization with the purified N protein, mice developed a strong anti-ribonucleoprotein antibody response and were protected against a lethal challenge of rabies virus. These data indicate that the N protein expressed in insect cells is antigenically and immunogenically comparable to the authentic rabies virus ribonucleoprotein and therefore represents a potential source of an effective and economical vaccine for large-scale immunization of humans and animals against rabies.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4268.
authors.forename: Z F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dietzschold
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wunner
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ertl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koprowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009036:Moths; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011819:Rabies Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins