Increased resistance to white spot syndrome virus in Procambarus clarkii by injection of envelope protein VP28 expressed using recombinant baculovirus

In order to investigate whether protein structure has an effect on protective effect of envelope protein of WSSV, VP28 protein was expressed both in Escherichia coli (pET-VP28) and insect (BmN) cells (BmNPV-VP28). The baculovirus (BmNPV) expression system was used to obtain correctly folded VP28 protein. Procambarus clarkii crayfish were intramuscularly injected with lysates of cells infected with recombinant pET-VP28 and BmNPV-VP28, respectively, and then challenged by intramuscular injection of WSSV to assess the duration of protection. The crayfish injected with BmNPV-VP28 showed generally lower mortality rates when compared to crayfish injected with pET-VP28, resulting in relative percent survivals of 92% and 39%, respectively, when compared to the control groups injected with empty vectors BmNPV and pET-30a. These results showed that VP28 protein produced in BmN cells gave much better protection than VP28 protein produced in E. coli.