Intracellularly expressed single-domain antibody against p15 matrix protein prevents the production of porcine retroviruses.
The presence of porcine endogenous retroviruses presents a potential risk of transmission of infectious diseases (xenozoonosis) if tissues and organs from genetically modified pigs are to be used in xenotransplantation. Here, we report that intracellular expression of a llama single-domain antibody against p15, the matrix domain protein of the porcine endogenous retrovirus Gag polyprotein, blocks retrovirus production, providing the possibility of eliminating the risk of infection in xenotransplantation.
Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Sylvia
S
Dekker
Wendy
W
Toussaint
George
G
Panayotou
Ton
T
de Wit
Pim
P
Visser
Frank
F
Grosveld
Dubravka
D
Drabek
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000502:physiology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000502:physiology; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology; D014779:Virus Replication
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D007106:Immune Sera; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins