Obtaining Recombinant Antigens for the Development of Serological Diagnosis of Marburg Fever

Abstract

Aim. Production of recombinant viral antigens of the main immunodominant proteins: glycoprotein (GPΔMLD), nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix protein (VP40) of the Marburg virus, as well as the study of their antigenic and immunogenic properties.Materials and methods. To create recombinant proteins GPΔMLD, NP and VP40 of the Marburg virus, synthesized nucleotide sequences encoding these proteins cloned into the pET21a expression vector were used. The immunogenic and antigenic properties of the obtained recombinant proteins were tested using a number of biomodels (mice, chickens, and guinea pigs).Results and discussion. Recombinant plasmids containing genes encoding proteins GPΔMLD, NP, VP40 of the Marburg virus, as well as Escherichia coli producing strains, with the yield of purified preparations of recombinant proteins GPΔMLD, NP, VP40 from one liter of culture fluid – 5, 10, and 10 μg were obtained, respectively. When mice are immunized, recombinant proteins GP, NP, and VP40 MARV induce the synthesis of high titer antibodies (recombinant proteins NP and VP40 – more than 409600, and recombinant protein GPΔMLD – 12800). Mouse antibodies specific to recombinant proteins interact in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the antigen of inactivated MARV. Antibodies of chickens immunized with virus-like particles containing the surface glycoprotein of the Marburg virus and antibodies of guinea pigs immunized with an experimental DNA vaccine containing the GPΔMLD MARV gene recognize the recombinant GPΔMLD protein and the viral protein in the inactivated MARV. The resulting recombinant proteins are immunogenic/antigenic and can be used for the development of enzymelinked immunosorbent assay systems.