The porcine humoral response to detergent extracted Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies) virus antigens

Twenty Aujeszky's disease (AD) virus antigens were demonstrated by crossed immunoelectrophoresis in a Triton-X-100 detergent extract of virus-infected PK-1a cells. Eight of these antigens were shown to be glycosylated based on their ability to be specifically bound by the lectin Ricinus communis agglutinin II. Pigs nasally infected with AD virus showed a significant serum antibody titer to seven of the known glycosylated antigens and to four additional antigens. The antibody titer to these antigens persisted for at least 116 days. Pigs which were vaccinated parenterally with the whole detergent extract survived a nasal challenge of 10(8 . 5) PFU of virulent AD virus. The antibody response of these vaccinated pigs on the day of challenge was essentially identical to the recovery response previously observed in non-vaccinated nasally infected pigs. These results indicate that the optimum components of future AD virus subunit vaccines and their complementary diagnostic reagents should be selected from these 11 antigens.