title: The C-terminal portion of the nucleocapsid protein demonstrates SARS-CoV antigenicity.
abstract: In order to develop clinical diagnostic tools for rapid detection of the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) and to identify candidate proteins for vaccine development, the C-terminal portion of the nucleocapsid (NC) gene was amplified using RT-PCR from the SARS-CoV genome, cloned into a yeast expression vector (pEGH), and expressed as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Hisx6 double-tagged fusion protein under the control of an inducible promoter. Western analysis on the purified protein confirmed the expression and purification of the NC fusion proteins from yeast. To determine its antigenicity, the fusion protein was challenged with serum samples from SARS patients and normal controls. The NC fusion protein demonstrated high antigenicity with high specificity, and therefore, it should have great potential in designing clinical diagnostic tools and provide useful information for vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China.
authors.forename: Guozhen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shaohui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yongwu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianning
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Jingqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jinxiu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Shuting
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xiaoqian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yongqiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianqiu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Siqi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Huanming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015003:Yeasts / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins