%0 Journal Article %A Hertig, Christian %A Pye, Anthony D. %A Hyatt, Alex D. %A Davis, Steven S. %A McWilliam, Sean M. %A Heine, Hans G. %A Walker, Peter J. %A Boyle, David B. %T Vaccinia virus-expressed bovine ephemeral fever virus G but not GNS glycoprotein induces neutralizing antibodies and protects against experimental infection %D 1996 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 77 %N 4 %P 631-640 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-77-4-631 %I Microbiology Society, %X Two related glycoproteins (G and GNS) encoded in the bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) genome were expressed from recombinant vaccinia viruses (rVV). Both proteins were detected in lysates of rVV-infected cells by labelling with d-[6-3H]glucosamine or by immuno-blotting. The recombinant G protein (mol. mass 79 kDa) appeared slightly smaller than the native G protein but reacted with monoclonal antibodies directed against all defined neutralizing antigenic sites (G1, G2, G3a, G3b and G4). The recombinant GNS protein (mol. mass 90 kDa) was identical in size to the native GNS protein and failed to react by immunofluorescence with anti-G protein monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies. Antisera raised in rabbits against rVV-G or rVV-GNS both reacted strongly by immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy with BEFV-infected cells. The G protein was localized intracellularly in the endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi complex and at the cell surface associated with budding and mature virus particles. The GNS protein also localized intracellularly in the endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi complex; however, at the cell surface it was associated with amorphous structures and not with budding or mature virions. Rabbits vaccinated with rVV-G developed high levels of antibodies which neutralized BEFV grown in either mammalian or insect cells. Cattle vaccinated with rVV-G also produced neutralizing antibodies and were protected against experimental BEFV infection. In contrast, rVV-GNS vaccinated rabbits and cattle failed to produce neutralizing antibodies and, after challenge, BEFV was isolated from two-thirds of the vaccinated cattle. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-77-4-631