PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF VP4 VP7 REASSORTANT SWINE ROTAVIRUSES DERIVED FROM GOTTFRIED AND OSU PARENTAL STRAINS/

The ability of viral glycoproteins (VP) VP4/VP7 reassortant swine rota viruses (RV) to induce cross-neutralizing antibody against parental se rotypes was investigated in guinea pigs. Using selective culture condi tions, we produced 10 reassortant viruses that contained gene segment 4 of the OSU RV strain and gene segment 9 of the Gottfried Rv strain. These reassortant Rv grew to high titer in cell culture and were neutr alized by monospecific antisera against both parental Rv strains. The reassortant Rv were chemically inactivated with binary ethylenimine, a djuvanted with aluminum hydroxide, and used to produce antisera in gui nea pigs. The hyperimmune antisera had high neutralization titer again st both parent RV strains. These results indicate that several of the reassortant RV may be capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies to V P4 and VP7 and may have future use as bivalent vaccine strains.