BACTERIAL SYNTHESIS OF IMMUNOGENIC EPITOP ES OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH-DISEASE VIRUS FUSED EITHER TO HUMAN TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR OR HEPATITIS-B VIRUS CORE ANTIGEN

Using recombinant DNA technology, construction and bacterial expressio n of genes was carried out which code for hybrid proteins, human tumor necrosis factor and hepatitis B core protein fused to immunogenic epi topes of foot-and-mouth disease virus, strains A(22) and O1-194. Hybri ds of tumor necrosis factor with foot and-mouth disease antigenic dete rminants protected laboratory animals against the experimental challen ge with a homologous strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus. Hybrid pr otein that contained immunogenic regions of two strains, A(22) and O1- 194 protected animals against infection with both A and O serotypes. H ybrid proteins based on hepatitis B virus core antigen retained the ab ility to assemble into core-like particles.