Recombinant Goatpox Virus Expressing The Glycoprotein Of Rift Valley Fever Virus

The Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), belonging to the genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae, can be transmitted to humans and ruminants by several arthropods, although mosquitoes of the genera Aedes and Culex are considered to be the most common vectors of the disease. Human infections may also result from contact with the tissues and body fluids of infected ruminants during slaughter or the abortus of infected animals. In animals, RVFV induces almost 100% mortality among young animals and a high rate of abortion in gravid females. RVFV was found throughout Africa, and circa 2000 years spread to the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula. RVF outbreaks are characterized by economically disastrous"abortion storms"and public health crisis. Because of global commerce, humans travel frequently and global warming trend accelerated, facing the infectious diseases like RVF threatened, it is important to develop more efficient and safer RVFV for the potential pandemic in China.RVFV has only one serotype. The surface glycoprotein (G) is the most important structural protein to induce protective neutrolization antibody. G protein is encoded by M segment and cleavages into GN and GC subunit after translation.Goatpox virus (GPV), another most important pathogen for domestic animal, has the limit host range among ruminates, mainly goat, sheep and cattle. GPV has a large and stable double strain DNA genome, about 150kb. GPV genome can tolerance the insert of foreign gene up to 25kb but still retain replication and infectivity. The attenuated live vaccine of GPV has widely been used to control goatpox in domestic animals.In this study, a recombinant GPV vaccine strain expression G protein of RVFV was generated. We chose tk gene, the nonessential region for virus replication, as target site to insert foreign genes. By homologous recombination, we constructed a recombinant GPV name as rGPV-gie-rvfv-g(n+c). The recombinant virus expresses reporter gene green fluorescent protein (gfp) and pressure select gene xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (gpt) under the control of p11 late promoter and the G protein under the control of p7.5 early/late promoter. The expression and cleavage of G protein was confirmed by immunofluorescence and Western-blot. This recombinant GPV will be a potential vaccine candidate for the control of RVF.