Cloning and expression of two fragments of the S gene of canine coronavirus type I.
Two fragments, S66 and S55, of the S glycoprotein of the newly identified canine coronavirus type I (CCoV type I), were expressed in a procariotic system. The purified recombinant proteins of 350 and 366 amino acids in length, respectively, were employed to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of CCoV type I antibodies in dog sera. Four canine sera-positive for CCoV type II, four sera-positive for CCoV type I and 10 negative control sera were examined. Only the sera-positive for CCoV type I strongly reacted with both the proteins, whereas the sera-positive for CCoV type II showed low reactivity in the ELISA test. As CCoV type I seems to be not cultivable in cell cultures, the recombinant fragments of the S protein represent a unique method to study, preliminarily, the immunological and the pathogenetic characteristics of this new virus.
Pratelli
Annamaria
A
Department of Animal Health and Well-being, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Strada per Casamassima, km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy. a.pratelli@veterinaria.uniba.it
Elia
Gabriella
G
Decaro
Nicola
N
Tola
Sebastiana
S
Tinelli
Antonella
A
Martella
Vito
V
Rocca
Stefano
S
Tempesta
Maria
M
Buonavoglia
Canio
C
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary; D017939:Coronavirus, Canine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005814:Genes, Viral
D000914:Antibodies, Viral