Foot and Mouth Disease Virus Polyepitope Protein Produced in Bacteria and Plants Induces Protective Immunity in Guinea Pigs

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E. P. Andrianova¹, S. R. Krementsugskaia², N. N. Lugovskaia², T. K. Mayorova², V. V. Borisov², M. A. Eldarov¹, N. V. Ravin¹, A. S. Folimonov^1*, and K. G. Skryabin¹

¹Bioengineering Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. 60-letiya Oktyabrya 7-1, 117312 Moscow, Russia; fax: (499) 135-0571; E-mail: folimonov@biengi.ac.ru

²Federal State Institution “Federal Center for Animal Health”, Yuryevets, 600901 Vladimir, Russia; fax: (492) 226-1573; E-mail: borisov2@arriah.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received September 20, 2010; Revision received November 8, 2010

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The goal of this project was to develop an alternative foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine candidate based on a recombinant protein consisting of efficient viral epitopes. A recombinant gene was designed that encodes B-cell epitopes of proteins VP1 and VP4 and T-cell epitopes of proteins 2C and 3D. The polyepitope protein (H-PE) was produced in E. coli bacteria or in N. benthamiana plants using a phytovirus expression system. The methods of extraction and purification of H-PE proteins from bacteria and plants were developed. Immunization of guinea pigs with the purified H-PE proteins induced an efficient immune response against foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype O/Taiwan/99 and protection against the disease. The polyepitope protein H-PE can be used as a basis for developing a new recombinant vaccine against FMD.

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KEY WORDS: FMDV, vaccine, transient expression in plants, polyepitope protein

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297911030072

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