Transformation of Two VP1 Genes of O- and Asia 1-Type Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus into Maize

The expression of antigens in transgenic plants has increasingly been used as an alternative to the classical methodologies for the development of experimental vaccines. This paper reports here the development of a novel oral immunization system for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in transgenic maize with two serotypes of the structural protein VP1 of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) viz., O- and Asia 1-type, respectively. The transgenic plantlets were identified and investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Southern blot, and real-time PCR. Moreover, it was found that the VP1 genes in transgenic plants could be transmitted stably to the next generation through PCR detection. To our knowledge, this is the first report in an attempt to induce a protective systemic antibody response in animals by feeding the transgenic plants in which two serotypes antigen protein of FMDV expressed together. Results of the experiment provide the possibility of using plant-based vaccines as feedstuff or feedstuff additives.