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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #359885
Research Project: Genetic and Biological Determinants of Avian Herpesviruses Pathogenicity, Transmission, and Evolution to Inform the Development of Effective Control Strategies

Location: Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research

Title: Vaccinal efficacy of Gallid alphaherpesvirus 3 strain 301B/1 from BAC clone against Marek’s disease virus challenge

Author
item Kim, Taejoong
item Dunn, John
item Spatz, Stephen

Submitted to: American Association of Avian Pathologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2019
Publication Date: 8/2/2019
Citation: Kim, T.N., Dunn, J.R., Spatz, S.J. 2019. Vaccinal efficacy of Gallid alphaherpesvirus 3 strain 301B/1 from BAC clone against Marek’s disease virus challenge [abstract]. American Association of Avian Pathologists Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., August 2-6, 2019.

Interpretive Summary: Marek’s disease is a highly contagious lymphoproliferative disease in chickens. Marek’s disease virus (MDV) has evolved its virulence partly because of imperfect vaccines and faulty administraion. Turkey herpesvirus (HVT) and Gallid alphaherpesvirus 3 (GaHV-3) have been developed as bivalent vaccines to improve the level of protection elicited by single formulations of HVT or GaHV-3 (e.g. SB-1 vaccine strain). Since in vitro passage of MD vaccine strains can result in over attenuation, we sought to secure a molecularly defined MDV vaccine strain by inserting the mini-F replicon into the genome of another GaHV-3 strain (301B/1) creating a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). Infectious virus was rescued from various 301B/1-BAC clones by reverse genetics techniques. Reconstituted 301B/1-BAC viruses showed growth kinetics comparable to parental 301B/1 virus. Preliminary data from a vaccine

Technical Abstract: Marek’s disease is a highly contagious lymphoproliferative disease in chickens. Marek’s disease virus (MDV) has evolved its virulence partly because of imperfect vaccines and faulty administraion. Turkey herpesvirus (HVT) and Gallid alphaherpesvirus 3 (GaHV-3) have been developed as bivalent vaccines to improve the level of protection elicited by single formulations of HVT or GaHV-3 (e.g. SB-1 vaccine strain). Since in vitro passage of MD vaccine strains can result in over attenuation, we sought to secure a molecularly defined MDV vaccine strain by inserting the mini-F replicon into the genome of another GaHV-3 strain (301B/1) creating a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). Infectious virus was rescued from various 301B/1-BAC clones by reverse genetics techniques. Reconstituted 301B/1-BAC viruses showed growth kinetics comparable to parental 301B/1 virus. Preliminary data from a vaccine protection study using specific pathogen free chickens suggest vaccine virus reconstituted from a selected GaHV-3 301B/1 BAC exhibited an efficacious protection profile against very virulent MDV challenge. Further details of protective efficacy of the molecularly cloned vaccine candidate will be discussed.