Baculovirus expressed herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein C protects mice from lethal HSV-1 infection.

A recombinant baculovirus (vAc-gC1) was constructed that expresses the glycoprotein C (gC) gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). When Sf9 cells were infected with this recombinant, a protein that was smaller in size than authentic HSV-1 gC was detected by Western blotting using anti-gC polyclonal antibody. The recombinant gC was susceptible to tunicamycin, partially resistant to Endo-H, and was found on the membrane of Sf9 cells. Antibodies raised in mice to recombinant gC reacted with gC from HSV-1 infected cells and neutralized the infectivity of HSV-1 in vitro. Immunized mice were protected from lethal challenge with HSV-1.