Detection of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) using highly specific antisera against Gag and Env.

Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) are considered an obstacle to the safe use of cells, tissues, and organs from pigs in the course of xenotransplantation. Thus, the detection of viral proteins and of a potential PERV infection is of major interest. Recently, we have published the generation of a highly specific antiserum directed against the nucleocapsid (p10) of PERV (Xenotransplantation 7 (2000), 221). Here we present new peptide-antisera specific to the capsid protein (p30) and the surface molecule of PERV class B (SU, gp70(B)) as well as the transmembrane moiety of the envelope protein (TM, p15E) of PERV which showed functionality in several immunological assays, such as immunoblots, immunofluorescence, and immunogold staining. Thus, these antisera can be used as tools for the identification of viral proteins in basic research as well as clinical trials.