title: Virus-like particles of hepatitis B virus core protein containing five mimotopes of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) protect chickens against IBDV.
abstract: Current infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) vaccines suffer from maternal antibody interference and mimotope vaccines might be an alternative. Previously we demonstrated an IBDV VP2 five-mimotope polypeptide, 5EPIS, elicited protective immunity in chickens. In the current study, the 5epis gene was inserted into a plasmid carrying human hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) gene at its major immunodominant region site. The recombinant gene was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli to produce chimeric protein HBc-5EPIS which self-assembles to virus-like particles (VLP). Two-week old specific-pathogen-free chickens were immunized intramuscularly with HBc-5EPIS VLP or 5EPIS polypeptide without adjuvant (50 μg/injection) on day 0, 7, 14 and 21. Anti-5EPIS antibody was first detected on day 7 and day 21 in HBc-5EPIS and 5EPIS groups, respectively; on day 28, anti-5EPIS titers reached 12,800 or 1600 by ELISA, and 3200 or 800 by virus neutralization assay in HBc-5EPIS and 5EPIS groups, respectively. No anti-5EPIS antibody was detected in the buffer control group throughout the experiment. Challenge on day 28 with a virulent IBDV strain (GX8/99) resulted in 100%, 40.0% and 26.7% survival for chickens immunized with HBc-5EPIS, 5EPIS and buffer, respectively. These data suggest epitope presentation on chimeric VLP is a promising approach for improving mimotope vaccines for IBDV.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China. wangyongshan2001@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yong-shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Xiao-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kong-wang
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Sheng-qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hai-bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Cheng-ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018175:Birnaviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002645:Chickens; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007243:Infectious bursal disease virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome; D014765:Viral Vaccines