Baculovirus-expressed herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein D is immunogenic and protective against lethal HSV challenge

Herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein D (gD2) was cloned and expressed in the baculovirus— Spodoptera frugiperda system. Milligram quantities of glycoprotein were recovered from suspension culture and subjected to purification by ion-exchange and immunoaffinity chromatography. The resultant purified gD existed as a homogeneous 57 500 M W monomeric species demonstrating reactivity with anti-gD monoclonal antibodies including those directed at a non-sequential neutralizing epitope of gD. Immunization of Balb/c mice with doses of 0.1–10.0μg of AlPO 4-absorbed gD resulted in elicitation of humoral and cellular responses to both HSV1 and HSV2 as well as to purified gD1 and gD2. Immunized mice receiving an infectious dose of 1 × 10 6 p.f.u. of HSV2 via the footpad route were significantly protected against infection at all doses tested when compared with unimmunized AlPO 4 and uninoculated control animals.