EXPRESSION OF MAREKS-DISEASE VIRUS (MDV) SEROTYPE-2 GENE WHICH HAS PARTIAL HOMOLOGY WITH MDV SEROTYPE-1 PP38 GENE

We constructed the recombinant baculovirus expressing the gene of non- pathogenic Marek's disease virus (MDV) serotype 2 (MDV2) which encodes a polypeptide with partial homology to MDV serotype 1 (MDV1) pp38, an antigen associated with transformed cells. The recombinant MDV2 prote in was detected as a band of 32 kDa in immunoblot analysis with MDV2-i nfected chicken serum. Mouse serum against insect Spodoptera frugiperd a cells infected with the recombinant baculovirus immunoprecipitated a 38 kDa molecule from the lysate of MDV2-infected chicken embryo fibro blasts (CEFs) but did not immunoprecipitate the MDV1 pp38 from the lys ate of MDV1-infected CEFs. This result indicates that the recombinant MDV2 protein has no epitopes shared with the MDV1 pp38.