Synthesis of fusion proteins with multiple copies of an antigenic determinant of foot-and-mouth disease virus.
A series of four expression plasmids coding for fusion proteins containing foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) sequences was constructed. The fusion proteins contain a large part of beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli preceded (N-terminal) by 1, 2, 4 or 8 repeats of the antigenic determinant of FMDV consisting of amino acids 137-162 of the capsid polypeptide VP1. All four fusion proteins were efficiently produced in E. coli host bacteria. Immunization of rabbits resulted in FMDV-specific, neutralizing antibodies, the response being dependent on the number of repeats. With enzyme-linked immunosorbent-assay techniques it was shown that the FMDV antigenic determinants are exposed on the surface of the fusion proteins under non-denaturing conditions.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005537:Aphthovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002213:Capsid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins