Protection of rabbits against lapinized rinderpest virus with purified envelope glycoproteins of peste-des-petits-ruminants and rinderpest viruses

Haemagglutinin (HA) and fusion (F) proteins of peste-des-petits-ruminants v irus (PPRV) and rinderpest virus (RPV) were purified by immunoaffinity chro matography. The purified proteins were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-PAGE). Rabbi t hyperimmune sera were raised against the purified HA and F proteins and a ssayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), haemagglutination-inhi bition (HAI) and virus neutralization (VN) tests. The immunized animals wer e challenged with a virulent lapinized (rabbit-adapted) strain of RPV: Both HA and F proteins of PPRV protected rabbits against a lethal challenge wit h lapinized RPV. As expected, RPV HA and F proteins also conferred a simila r protection against the homologous challenge. The postchallenge antibody r esponses were of a true anamnestic type.