• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2021

Vaccines based on single-cycle viruses that are replication-incompetent due to knockout of replication-related structural gene(s) are more immunogenic than inactivated or subunit vaccines and can be used as delivery vehicles for foreign antigens without concerns on the reverting to virulent forms. The aim of this study was to develop a delivery vehicle for nervous necrosis virus (NNV)-like particles (VLPs) using G gene deleted single-cycle VHSV (rVHSV-𝚫G). Recombinant single-cycle VHSVs carrying NNV capsid protein gene between N and P gene of rVHSV-𝚫G genome (rVHSV-𝚫G-NNV_Cap) were rescued by reverse genetic technology. The successful expression of NNV capsid protein in cells infected with rVHSV-𝚫G-NNV_Cap was demonstrated by Western blot analysis, and the production of NNV VLPs in infected cells was confirmed using an electron microscopy. The results suggest that single-cycle VHSVs can be used as a safe delivery vehicle for NNV VLPs, and can be extended to other pathogens for the development of prophylactic vaccines.