Protection of rabbits against lapinized rinderpest virus with purified envelope glycoproteins of peste-des-petits-ruminants and rinderpest viruses

Abstract

Haemagglutinin (HA) and Fusion (F) proteins of Peste-des-petits-ruminants Virus (PPRV) and Rinderpest Virus (RPV) were purified by immunoaffinity chromatography. The purified proteins were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS-PAGE). Rabbit hyperimmune sera were raised against the purified HA and F proteins and assayed by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Haemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) and Virus Neutralization (VN) tests. The immunized animals were challenged with a virulent lapinized (rabbit-adapted) strain of RPV. Both HA and F proteins of PPRV protected rabbits against a lethal challenge with lapinized RPV. As expected, RPV HA and F proteins also conferred a similar protection against the homologous challenge. The postchallenge antibody responses were of a true anamnestic type.