Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus-Like Particles Induce a Potent Humoral and Cellular Immune Response in Goats.

Yan Yan,Zhao Zhao,Feng Feng,Li Li,Gao Gao,Huang Huang,Wang Wang,Qiu Qiu,Yang Yang,Xia Xia,Schiffman Schiffman,Banadyga Banadyga

doi:10.3390/v11100918

Abstract

Peste des petits ruminants is a highly contagious acute or subacute disease of small ruminants caused by the peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), and it is responsible for significant economic losses in animal husbandry. Vaccination represents the most effective means of controlling this disease, with virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines offering promising vaccine candidates. In this study, a PPRV VLP-based vaccine was developed using a baculovirus expression system, allowing for the simultaneous expression of the PPRV matrix (M), hemagglutinin (H), fusion (F) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins in insect cells. Immunization of mice and goats with PPRV VLPs elicited a robust neutralization response and a potent cellular immune response. Mouse studies demonstrated that VLPs induced a more robust IFN-γ response in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells than PPRV Nigeria 75/1 and recruited and/or activated more B cells and dendritic cells in inguinal lymph nodes. In addition, PPRV VLPs induced a strong Th1 class response in mice, as indicated by a high IgG2a to IgG1 ratio. Goat studies demonstrated that PPRV VLPs can induce the production of antibodies specific for F and H proteins and can also stimulate the production of virus neutralizing antibodies to the same magnitude as the PPRV Nigeria 75/1 vaccine. Higher amounts of IFN-γ in VLP-immunized animal serum suggested that VLPs also elicited a cellular immune response in goats. These results demonstrated that VLPs elicit a potent immune response against PPRV infection in small ruminants, making PPRV VLPs a potential candidate for PPRV vaccine development.

Highlights

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is the causative agent of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease that affects small ruminants and results in extremely high rates of mortality and morbidity
The four Recombinant baculoviruses (rBVs) were used to simultaneously co-infect Sf9 cells, from which virus-like particle (VLP) composed of all four peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) structural proteins were purified at high concentrations
We demonstrate the production of PPRV VLPs at high concentrations using a recombinant baculovirus system to simultaneously co-express the four structural proteins M, F, H, and N

Summary

Introduction

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is the causative agent of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease that affects small ruminants and results in extremely high rates of mortality and morbidity. Mature virus particles are spherical or elliptical in shape and range in size from 150 nm to 700 nm in diameter [6]. PPRV consists of a 15,948 bp single-stranded, non-segmented negative-sense RNA genome that encodes a total of six structural proteins and two non-structural proteins [7,8]. The M protein contributes to the formation of virus particles and is a driving force in virus budding [9]

Methods

Results

Conclusion