Induction of neutralizing antibodies by varicella-zoster virus gpII glycoprotein expressed from recombinant vaccinia virus.
The gpII glycoprotein of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) was produced in CV1 cells via vaccinia virus recombinants. Two different DNA constructs were expressed: the first one encodes the complete gpII protein (gpII s+a+) and the second a truncated species lacking the membrane anchorage domain (gpII s+a-). To achieve expression both coding sequences had to be engineered at the 5' end by substituting the unusually short (24 bp) natural signal sequence by a more conventional one encoding 29 amino acids. Recombinant gpII proteins were detected in vaccinia virus-infected cells by ELISA and immunoprecipitation. Both forms of recombinant gpII proteins were produced as glycosylated single-chain molecules of respectively 110K and 90K. Upon reduction these were only partially converted into subunits. A rabbit infected with the vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the complete gpII produced antibodies which recognized VZV antigens and neutralized VZV infectivity in vitro, independent of complement.
Massaer
M
M
Service de Génétique Appliquee, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Nivelles, Belgium.
Haumont
M
M
Place
M
M
Bollen
A
A
Jacobs
P
P
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D014616:Vaccinia virus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C073223:glycoprotein gp2, varicella-zoster virus