Vet. Res. 35 (2004) 715-721
DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2004045

Bovine herpesvirus 1 glycoprotein D expression in bovine upper respiratory tract mediated by a human adenovirus type 5

Sacha Gogev^a, Jean-Pierre Georgin^b, Frédéric Schynts^a, Alain Vanderplasschen^b and Etienne Thiry<sup>a

a</sup>  Virology, Department of Infectious and Parasitic diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, boulevard de Colonster 20, B43b, 4000 Liège, Belgium
^b  Immunology-Vaccinology, Department of Infectious and Parasitic diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, boulevard de Colonster 20, B43b, 4000 Liège, Belgium

(Received 3 December 2003; accepted 25 May 2004)

Abstract - Bovine herpesvirus 1 glycoprotein D (gD) gene expression by recombinant replication defective human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV-5) was investigated in calves using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy (IIFM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and RT-PCR. One fold intranasal instillation of HAdV-5-expressing gD in the cattle upper respiratory tract showed a short term expression of at least 5 days, but not 10 days, limited only to epithelial cells localised in the epithelium of the nasal mucosa in one out of six calves. Observed limited gene transfer into well differentiated cattle airway epithelial cells must be taken into consideration in order to enhance transfection efficiency, and consequently the vaccine potential of this vector.

Key words: bovine herpesvirus 1 / glycoprotein D / recombinant human adenovirus type 5 / cattle

Corresponding author: Etienne Thiry tienne.thiry@ulg.ac.be

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2004