Active cross-protection induced by a recombinant baculovirus expressing chimeric infectious bursal disease virus structural proteins

The VP2 structural gene encoded in the large genomic segment A of the variant GLS strain of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was modified to encode a neutralization epitope (B69), found only on classic strains of IBDV. A chimeric cDNA clone of the large segment A, encoding VP3, VP4, and the modified variant IBDV VP2 structural proteins, was expressed in a recombinant baculovirus. The chimeric protein expressed was assessed with a panel of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), and it contained not only all previously MAb-defined GLS variant strain epitopes but also the B69 neutralization epitope found on classic IBDV strains. Complete active protection was afforded to specific-pathogen-free chickens by a subunit chimeric vaccine against virulent challenge with the classic IM and STC strains, as well as against the variant E/Del and GLS IBDV strains. Compared with a previously tested recombinant subunit vaccine, which incorporated unmodified baculovirus-expressed large-segment A GLS proteins, the recombinant chimeric subunit vaccine resulted in markedly improved active cross-protection against classic IBDV challenge.