Evaluation of a genetically modified foot-and-mouth disease virus vaccine candidate generated by reverse genetics

The present study describes the generation of a full-length infectious cDNA clone of FMDV vaccine strain and a genetically modified virus with some amino acid substitutions in antigenic sites 1, 3, and 4, based on the established infectious clone. The recombinant viruses had similar growth properties to the wild O/HN/CHA/93 virus. All swine immunized with inactivated vaccine prepared from the O/HN/CHA/93 were fully protected from challenge with the viruses of ME-SA and SEA topotypes and partially protected against challenge with the virus of CHY topotype at 28？days post-immunization. In contrast, the swine inoculated with the genetically modified vaccine were completely protected from the infection of viruses of the three topotypes.Some amino acid substitutions in the FMDV vaccine strain genome did not have an effect on the ability of viral replication in vitro. The vaccine prepared from genetically modified FMDV by reverse genetics significantly improved the protective efficacy to the variant of the CHY topotype, compared with the wild O/HN/CHA/93 virus. Thus, the full-length cDNA clone of FMDV can be a useful tool to develop genetically engineered FMDV vaccine candidates to help control porcinophilic FMD epidemics in China.Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious vesicular disease of domestic and wild cloven-hooved animal species, which is caused by the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), the prototype member of the genus Aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae. The highly contagious nature of FMDV and the associated high morbidity and productivity losses make it one of the most important barriers to the world trade of live animals and animal products. Control of the disease has been based on large-scale vaccinations with whole-virus inactivated vaccines, limitation of animal movements and destruction of herds exposed to the virus [1,2]. The currently available vaccine shows generally good protection against infection with the homologous and antigenic