Synthesis, cellular location, and immunogenicity of bovine herpesvirus 1 glycoproteins gI and gIII expressed by recombinant vaccinia virus.

Two of the major glycoproteins of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) are gI, a polypeptide complex with apparent molecular weights of 130,000, 74,000, and 55,000, and gIII (a 91,000-molecular-weight [91K] glycoprotein), which also exists as a 180K dimer. Vaccinia virus (VAC) recombinants were constructed which carry full-length gI (VAC-I) or gIII (VAC-III) genes. The genes for gI and gIII were each placed under the control of the early VAC 7.5K gene promoter and inserted within the VAC gene for thymidine kinase. The recombinant viruses VAC-I and VAC-III retained infectivity and expressed both precursor and mature forms of glycoproteins gI and gIII. The polypeptide backbones, partially glycosylated precursors, and mature gI and gIII glycoproteins were indistinguishable from those produced in BHV-1-infected cells. Consequently, they were apparently cleaved, glycosylated, and transported in a manner similar to that seen during authentic BHV-1 infection, although the processing efficiencies of both gI and gIII were generally higher in recombinant-infected cells than in BHV-1-infected cells. Immunofluorescence studies further demonstrated that the mature gI and gIII glycoproteins were transported to and expressed on the surface of cells infected with the respective recombinants. Immunization of cattle with recombinant viruses VAC-I and VAC-III resulted in the induction of neutralizing antibodies to BHV-1, which were reactive with authentic gI and gIII. These data demonstrate the immunogenicity of VAC-expressed gI and gIII and indicate the potential of these recombinant glycoproteins as a vaccine against BHV-1.