title: Recombinant canarypox virus vaccine co-expressing genes encoding the VP2 and VP5 outer capsid proteins of bluetongue virus induces high level protection in sheep.
abstract: We describe the development and preliminary characterization of a recombinant canarypox virus vectored vaccine for protective immunization of ruminants against bluetongue virus (BTV) infection. Sheep (n=6) immunized with recombinant canarypox virus vector (BTV-CP) co-expressing synthetic genes encoding the two outer capsid proteins (VP2 and VP5) of BTV serotype 17 (BTV-17) developed high titers (40-160) of virus-specific neutralizing antibodies and were resistant to challenge with a field strain of BTV-17. In contrast, sheep (n=5) immunized with a commercial recombinant canarypox virus vector expressing the E and preM genes of West Nile virus were seronegative to BTV and developed pyrexia, lymphopenia, and extended, high-titered viremias following challenge exposure to the field strain of BTV-17. These data confirm that the BTV-CP vaccine may be useful for the protective immunization of ruminants against bluetongue, and it may avoid the problems inherent to live-attenuated (LA) BTV vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Equine Viral Disease Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Josh D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Boone
authors.forename: Udeni B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Balasuriya
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Audonnet
authors.forename: Jiansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nordgren
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savini
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: N James
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Maclachlan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001819:Bluetongue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D028121:Canarypox virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D008297:Male; D012756:Sheep; D013997:Time Factors; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; C442520:VP2 protein, Bluetongue virus; C488468:VP5 protein, Bluetongue virus; D014765:Viral Vaccines