Generation of recombinant rabies Virus CVS-11 expressing eGFP applied to the rapid virus neutralization test

Viruses. 2014 Apr 4;6(4):1578-89. doi: 10.3390/v6041578.

Abstract

The determination of levels of rabies virus-neutralizing antibody (VNA) provides the foundation for the quantitative evaluation of immunity effects. The traditional fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test (FAVN) using a challenge virus standard (CVS)-11 strain as a detection antigen and staining infected cells with a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled monoclonal antibody, is expensive and high-quality reagents are often difficult to obtain in developing countries. Indeed, it is essential to establish a rapid, economical, and specific rabies virus neutralization test (VNT). Here, we describe a recombinant virus rCVS-11-eGFP strain that stably expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) based on a reverse genetic system of the CVS-11 strain. Compared to the rCVS-11 strain, the rCVS-11-eGFP strain showed a similar growth property with passaging stability in vitro and pathogenicity in vivo. The rCVS-11-eGFP strain was utilized as a detection antigen to determine the levels of rabies VNAs in 23 human and 29 canine sera; this technique was termed the FAVN-eGFP method. The good reproducibility of FAVN-eGFP was tested with partial serum samples. Neutralization titers obtained from FAVN and FAVN-eGFP were not significantly different. The FAVN-eGFP method allows rapid economical, specific, and high-throughput assessment for the titration of rabies VNAs.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood*
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Dogs
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / analysis*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Neutralization Tests / methods*
  • Organisms, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Organisms, Genetically Modified / immunology
  • Rabies virus / genetics
  • Rabies virus / immunology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Reverse Genetics
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Staining and Labeling / methods

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins