title: Polyclonal antibody against the DPV UL46M protein can be a diagnostic candidate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The duck plague virus (DPV) UL46 protein (VP11/12) is a 739-amino acid tegument protein encoded by the UL46 gene. We analyzed the amino acid sequence of UL46 using bioinformatics tools and defined the main antigenic domains to be between nucleotides 700-2,220 in the UL46 sequence. This region was designated UL46M. The DPV UL46 and UL46M genes were both expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) induced by isopropy1-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) following polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and subcloning into the prokaryotic expression vector pET32a(+). The recombinant proteins were purified using a Ni-NTA spin column and used to generate the polyclonal antibody against UL46 and UL46M in New Zealand white rabbits. The titer was then tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and agar diffusion reaction, and the specificity was tested by western blot analysis. Subsequently, we established Dot-ELISA using the polyclonal antibody and applied it to DPV detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our study, the DPV UL46M fusion protein, with a relative molecular mass of 79 kDa, was expressed in E. coli Rosetta (DE3). Expression of the full UL46 gene failed, which was consistent with the results from the bioinformatic analysis. The expressed product was directly purified using Ni-NTA spin column to prepare the polyclonal antibody against UL46M. The titer of the anti-UL46M antisera was over 1:819,200 as determined by ELISA and 1:8 by agar diffusion reaction. Dot-ELISA was used to detect DPV using a 1:60 dilution of anti-UL46M IgG and a 1:5,000 dilution of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anti-UL46M polyclonal antibody reported here specifically identifies DPV, and therefore, it is a promising diagnostic tool for DPV detection in animals. UL46M and the anti-UL46M antibody can be used for further clinical examination and research of DPV.
authors.affiliation: Avian Diseases Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya, an, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Liting
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Anchun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Mingshu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Dekang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Renyong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Qihui
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhengli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiaoyue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jinlong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004372:Ducks; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D004926:Escherichia coli; D015870:Gene Expression; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D011817:Rabbits; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins