Immunization of Chickens with Newcastle Disease Virus Expressing H5 Hemagglutinin Protects against Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Viruses

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006509
• Publication Date: 2009-08-04T22:21:07Z
• Authors: Baibaswata Nayak; Subrat N. Rout; Sachin Kumar; Mohammed S. Khalil; Moustafa M. Fouda; Luay E. Ahmed; Kenneth C. Earhart; Daniel R. Perez; Peter L. Collins; Siba K. Samal
• Keywords: Newcastle Disease; Attenuated vaccine; Reverse Genetics

Highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) and Newcastle disease (NDV) are the two most important poultry viruses in world. Natural low-virulence NDV strains have been used as vaccines over past 70 years with proven track records. We previously developed a reverse genetics system to produce low-virulent vaccine strain LaSota from cloned cDNA. This allows us use vector for other pathogens.Here, we constructed recombinant NDVs (rNDVs) each of which expresses hemagglutinin (HA) gene HPAIV H5N1 A/Vietnam/1203/2004 an added gene. In one, rNDV (rNDV-HA), open reading frame (ORF) HA was expressed without modification. second, (rNDV-HAF), ORF modified so that transmembrane cytoplasmic domains encoded were replaced those F protein. The insertion either version did not increase virulence vector. protein found be incorporated into envelopes both rNDV-HA rNDV-HAF. However, there enhanced incorporation Chickens immunized single dose or rNDV-HAF induced high titer H5-specific antibodies completely protected against challenge well lethal challenges homologous heterologous H5N1.Our results suggest these chimeric potential safe effective bivalent and. HPAIV. These will convenient affordable, highly beneficial industry. Furthermore, immunization permit serological differentiation vaccinated field infected animals.