Construction and immunogenicity of recombinant adenovirus expressing ORF2 of PCV2 and porcine IFN gamma

Abstract The capsid structural protein encoded by the gene ORF2 of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 is critical for eliciting the broad protective immunity. We constructed and characterized the recombinant adenovirus encoding the capsid and porcine IFN gamma, designated as rAd-ORF2-IFN-γ. The construct was further confirmed by the enzyme digestion, PCR, sequencing and transfection. The humoural immunity to the capsid protein, induced by the recombinant in the mice, was tested by ELISA. Notably, this recombinant induced a much better ORF2-specific antibody response than that of rAd-ORF2 alone or the adenovirus itself. Clearly, the porcine IFN gamma could strongly enhance the immunogenicity of ORF2. The results showed that the recombinant adenovirus might be an attractive candidate vaccine for preventing the disease associated with PCV2 infection.