Abstract
A recombinant baculovirus was constructed to simultaneously express codon-optimized virus-like particles (VLP), A VP1-2A-VP3 and VP0 of serotype O foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), from individual promoters. The target proteins were expressed in insect cells at high level, as shown by indirect sandwich ELISA; and the expressed VP1-2A-VP3 could autocatalytically be cleaved into the individual proteins, VP1-2A and VP3, as shown by Western-blot analyses. In addition, in the insect cells, the structural proteins, VP0, VP3 and VP1-2A, self-assembled into virus-like particles resembling the authentic FMDV particles. This information should prove useful for the development of more efficient VLP assembly using shorter genes.
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This work was supported by the Chinese “863” National Program for High Technology Research and Development (Grant No. 2006AA10A204).
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Purpose of work Virus-like particles of foot-and-mouth disease virus, which lack nucleic acid, are antigenically similar to infectious viruses and are as immunogenic as virions in animals. This feature makes them suitable molecular targets for diagnostic and vaccine applications which are investigated here.
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Cao, Y., Sun, P., Fu, Y. et al. Formation of virus-like particles from O-type foot-and-mouth disease virus in insect cells using codon-optimized synthetic genes. Biotechnol Lett 32, 1223–1229 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-010-0295-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-010-0295-8