INDUCTION OF VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS-NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES IN MICE BY COINFECTION WITH RECOMBINANT VACCINIA VIRUSES EXPRESSING THE GH OR GL GENE

Recombinant vaccinia viruses (VV) expressing the varicella-zoster viru s (VZV) glycoprotein H (gH) or glycoprotein L (gL) were constructed. T he 94 kDa gH intermediate glycoprotein was synthesized in cell culture s infected with the VV-gH recombinant, but only coinfection with both recombinants resulted in the synthesis of the fully processed 118 kDa gH molecule. The W-expressed gH and gL formed a complex that displayed the conformational neutralization epitope detectable by means of huma n VZV gH-specific monoclonal antibody V3. Formation of this epitope wa s inhibited by tunicamycin but not by monensin. Simultaneous intraperi toneal inoculation of mice with high doses of both VV-gH and VV-gL vir uses resulted in the development of VZV-neutralizing, complement-indep endent antibodies; these antibodies were not detected in mice infected solely with either the VV-gH or the VV-gL recombinant.