Baculovirus-expressed muscovy duck reovirus sigmaC protein induces serum neutralizing antibodies and protection against challenge.

Recombinant baculoviruses with sigmaC- or sigmaB-encoding gene from muscovy duck reovirus (DRV) were constructed. Western-blot analysis showed that sigmaC was more immunoreactive than sigmaB. Vaccination of SPF ducks with two injections, 3 weeks apart, of emulsions containing sigmaC or sigmaC + sigmaB elicited DRV-specific neutralizing antibodies. Following challenge, vaccination partially--or even totally in some cases--prevented the appearance of clinical symptoms. Moreover, immunization reduced the severity of reovirus-induced tenosynovitis and prevented pericarditis development during the course of the assay. Thus, DRV sigmaC, alone or co-expressed with sigmaB, appeared as a good candidate for vaccination of ducks (96/100 mots). Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.