Genetically engineered colorimetric single-chain antibody fusion protein for rapid diagnosis of rabies virus

The most widely used test for rabies diagnostics is the fluorescent antibody test, which is recommended by both the World Health Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). This test may be used directly on a smear, and can also be used to confirm the presence of rabies antigen in cell culture or in brain tissue for diagnosis. The colorimetric enzymes are usually coupled to an antibody by chemical means using cross-linking reagents. However, such non-specific procedures lead to heterogeneous conjugates, sometimes with reduced activity and specificity. To bypass these problems, genetic engineering has provided a way to create chimeric bifunctional molecules in which the variable domains of an antibody are genetically linked to unrelated protein tracers. In this study, we describe the successful production of a bifunctional chimeric protein based on alkaline phosphatase-fused anti-rabies virus glycoprotein scFv antibody fragment. We also report the antigen binding properties and the alkaline phosphatase activity of the recombinant conjugate protein. We established its value as a novel in vitro tool for detecting the rabies virus in brain smear in a one-step procedure; it presents a similar sensitivity and specificity to that obtained using standard reagents.