title: An equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) expressing VP2 and VP5 of serotype 8 bluetongue virus (BTV-8) induces protection in a murine infection model.
abstract: Bluetongue virus (BTV) can infect most species of domestic and wild ruminants causing substantial morbidity and mortality and, consequently, high economic losses. In 2006, an epizootic of BTV serotype 8 (BTV-8) started in northern Europe that caused significant disease in cattle and sheep before comprehensive vaccination was introduced two years later. Here, we evaluate the potential of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), an alphaherpesvirus, as a novel vectored DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) vaccine expressing VP2 of BTV-8 alone or in combination with VP5. The EHV-1 recombinant viruses stably expressed the transgenes and grew with kinetics that were identical to those of parental virus in vitro. After immunization of mice, a BTV-8-specific neutralizing antibody response was elicited. In a challenge experiment using a lethal dose of BTV-8, 100% of interferon-receptor-deficient (IFNAR(-/-)) mice vaccinated with the recombinant EHV-1 carrying both VP2 and VP5, but not VP2 alone, survived. VP7 was not included in the vectored vaccines and was successfully used as a DIVA marker. In summary, we show that EHV-1 expressing BTV-8 VP2 and VP5 is capable of eliciting a protective immune response that is distinguishable from that after infection and as such may be an alternative for BTV vaccination strategies in which DIVA compatibility is of importance.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Guanggang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eschbaumer
authors.forename: Abdelrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Said
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osterrieder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001819:Bluetongue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization / Q000662:veterinary; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; C442520:VP2 protein, Bluetongue virus; C488468:VP5 protein, Bluetongue virus