Abstract

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome is one of the most devastating diseases affecting the pig industry. The licensed vaccines available present several shortcomings and consequently many groups around the world are actively working towards developing an efficacious vaccine. In this work, we have fused the epitope B of the GP5 protein from the PRRRS virus to peptide nanoparticles and expressed the construct in plants in a transient manner. It was shown by transmission electron microscopy that the chimeric protein nanoparticles can be efficiently synthesized and self-assembled inside plant cells. By real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), it was also demonstrated that the chimeric constructs are efficiently transcribed. There exists a high potential for these nanoparticles to serve as platforms for vaccines. In the next phase of the project, we will immunize mice to show immunogenicity and pigs, which will be later challenged with a circulating strain of the virus.

Key words: Peptide nanoparticles, epitopes, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), GP5, vaccines.