Baculovirus expression and potential diagnostic application of the gp51 envelope glycoprotein of genetic mutants of the bovine leukaemia virus

Abstract

Introduction: Field isolates of bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) show the presence of a few amino acid substitutions in major conformational G and H epitopes on surface glycoprotein gp51. Potentially, these substitutions can affect the 3D structure of these epitopes leading to their diminished immunoreactivity. The aim of this study was to express three gp51 glycoproteins carrying mutated epitopes as recombinant baculovirus proteins in insect cells to test their immunoreactivity with bovine sera.

Keywords

• bovine leukaemia virus
• conformational epitopes
• recombinant baculovirus protein