Recombinant fusion protein and DNA vaccines against foot and mouth diseasevirus infection in guinea pig and swine

In this study, we provide evidence that a recombinant fusion protein contai ning P-galactosidase and a tandem repeat peptide of immunogenic dominant ep itope of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) VP1 protein elicits high level s of neutralizing antibody and protects both guinea pigs and swine against infection. Vaccination with this fusion protein induced a FMDV-specific pro liferative T-cell response and a neutralizing antibody response. The immuni zed guinea pigs and swine were protected against FMD type O virus infection . Two DNA plasmids expressing genes of foot-and-mouth disease were construc ted. Both plasmids pBO1 and pCO1 contain a signal sequence of the swine imm unoglobulin G (IgG) gene and fusion protein gene of pXZ84. The signal seque nce and fusion protein gene were under the control of a metallothionein pro moter in the case of the pBO1 plasmid and under the control of a cytomegalo virus immediate early promoter in the case of pCO1 plasmid. When pBO1 and p CO1 were inoculated intramuscularly into guinea pigs, both plasmids elicite d a neutralizing antibody response and spleen cell proliferation increased following stimulation with FMDV antigen, but animals were not protected fro m viral challenge.