COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF SEROLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF NONSTRUCTURAL PROTEIN(NS1) FROM TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS-VIRUS AND ITS ANALOG EXPRESSED IN BACTERIAL-CELLS

By means of immunoaffinity chromatography and expression of the gene i n Escherichia coli, non-structural glycoprotein NS1 of tick-borne ence phalitis virus (TBEV) and its recombinant analog were prepared. Antise ra against these proteins were obtained by hyperimmunisation of rabbit s. The antisera were tested by means of complement fixation, agar diff usion, hemagglutination inhibition and virus neutralization. Although both antisera are reacted with natural antigen, the recombinant analog of NS1 did not bind antibodies against natural protein in complement fixation and immunoprecipitation. Nevertheless the NS1 analog was rath er active in ELISA. Neither the natural nor the recombinant protein pr otected experimental animals from lethal virus infection. A contaminat ion of natural NS1 antigen with small amounts of structural glycoprote in E may be responsible far both antibody formation and virus neutrali zation. This can be relevant for the design of a subunit vaccine.