RECOMBINANT CAPRIPOXVIRUS EXPRESSING THE HEMAGGLUTININ PROTEIN GENE OF RINDERPEST VIRUS - PROTECTION OF CATTLE AGAINST RINDERPEST AND LUMPYSKIN-DISEASE VIRUSES

A cDNA clone containing the complete coding sequence of the hemaggluti nin (H) protein gene of the RBOK vaccine strain of rinderpest virus, u nder the control of the vaccinia late promoter pll, was inserted by ho mologous recombination into the thymidine kinase gene of the KS-1 stra in of capripoxvirus. The recombinant virus produced authentic H protei n as judged by its electrophoretic mobility, transport to the cell sur face of infected lamb testis cells, and reactivity with monoclonal ant ibodies specific for the H protein of rinderpest virus. The recombinan t virus induced significant levels of rinderpest virus neutralizing an tibodies in vaccinated cattle and protected them from clinical rinderp est after challenge with a lethal dose of a highly virulent heterologo us strain of the virus. Protection was achieved using Vaccine doses lo wer than those used with a similar recombinant expressing the fusion p rotein gene of rinderpest. The parental KS-I virus is widely used as a vaccine against capripox viruses and so the rinderpest recombinant ac ts as a dual vaccine to protect cattle against both rinderpest and lum py skin disease. (C) 1994 academic Press, Inc.