PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BOVINE HERPESVIRUS-1 GLYCOPROTEIN-B ECTODOMAIN DERIVATIVES IN AN HSP70A GENE PROMOTER-BASED EXPRESSION SYSTEM - BRIEF REPORT

Different derivatives of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) glycoprotein B ( gB) ectodomain were expressed in a novel heat-shock expression system. The putative ectodomain, gBt, and the N-terminal subunit, gBb, were o f the expected molecular weight and were secreted. Their production we re heat-inducible and the purified proteins were able to elicit antibo dy responses in mice of a comparable level as induced by authentic gB. The truncated C-terminal subunit, gBct, was retained in the endoplasm ic reticulum. Our studies suggest that the gBb subunit may play a majo r role in constituting the overall configuration of gB and is required for the intracellular transport of gB.