E. coli expressed proteins as diagnostic reagents for typing of foot-and-mouth disease virus

Area of Science:

• Veterinary virology
• Recombinant protein expression
• Immunodiagnostics

Background:

• Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) poses a significant threat to livestock globally.
• Accurate and rapid diagnostic methods are crucial for FMDV control and eradication.
• Current diagnostic reagents can be expensive and time-consuming to produce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and standardize novel diagnostic reagents for FMDV detection and typing.
• To evaluate the efficacy of E. coli-expressed FMDV proteins and antibodies in various serological assays.
• To establish a cost-effective alternative for FMDV diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Expression and purification of truncated VP1 proteins from FMDV vaccine strains and field variants in E. coli.
• Generation and characterization of type-specific antibodies against purified recombinant proteins in guinea pigs.
• Standardization of diagnostic assays including ELISA, Ag-RT/PCR, and Latex Agglutination Test (LAT).
• Validation of reagents using field samples and nucleotide sequencing.

Main Results:

• Recombinant FMDV VP1 proteins were successfully expressed and purified.
• Generated antibodies exhibited type-specific reactivity against homologous viruses and field samples.
• Standardized ELISA, Ag-RT/PCR, and LAT showed high specificity and sensitivity.
• Reagents effectively identified FMDV in screened field samples.

Conclusions:

• E. coli-expressed FMDV proteins and antibodies represent a viable and economical source for diagnostic reagents.
• Monospecific antibodies are suitable for rapid FMDV typing using LAT and Ag-RT/PCR.
• These novel reagents can aid in efficient FMDV surveillance and control programs.