cDNA-cloning and expression of VP1-specific sequences of foot-and-mouth disease virus types A5 and O1

The RNA genome of foot- and mouth disease virus strains A5 Westerwald and O1 Lausanne has been reverse-transcribed and cloned in lambdaphages or plasmids. Identification of cDNA-clones containing VP1-specific sequences was achieved by hybridization, restriction mapping, and sequence analysis. VP1-coding cDNA-fragments were subcloned into the expression vector pEX which led to synthesis of fusion proteins with beta-galactosidase. These fusion proteins reacted with anti-VP1 antibodies on a Western blot, but were not capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies to mice. This seemed to suggest a tertiary structure of the VP1-epitopes unlike those of native VP1. Other attempts are discussed to construct VP1-fusion proteins folding similarly to the native viral protein structure.