The C-Terminal Portion of the Nucleocapsid Protein Demonstrates SARS-CoV Antigenicity

(整期优先)网络出版时间:2003-03-13
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InordertodevelopclinicaldiagnostictoolsforrapiddetectionofSARS-CoV(severeacuterespiratorysyndrome-associatedcoronavirus)andtoidentifycandidateproteinsforvaccinedevelopment,theC-terminalportionofthenucleocapsid(NC)genewasamplifiedusingRT-PCRfromtheSARS-CoVgenome,clonedintoayeastexpressionvector(pEGH),andexpressedasaglutathioneS-transferase(GST)andHisx6double-taggedfusionproteinunderthecontrolofaninduciblepromoter.WesternanalysisonthepurifiedproteinconfirmedtheexpressionandpurificationoftheNCfusionproteinsfromyeast.Todetermineitsantigenicity,thefusionproteinwaschallengedwithserumsamplesfromSARSpatientsandnormalcontrols.TheNCfusionproteindemonstratedhighantigenicitywithhighspecificity,andtherefore,itshouldhavegreatpotentialindesigningclinicaldiagnostictoolsandprovideusefulinformationforvaccinedevelopment.