Development of a Recombinant Protein Peptide based Contraceptive Vaccine

Abstract

The control of stray dog numbers has been an important means of stray population management. Stray dogs have been a menace for a very long time and several countries have been struggling due to the impact of these free roaming dogs on human health as well as from an economic stand point. Dogs are the largest carriers of the rabies virus and it has been reported that 99% of human deaths due to rabies is caused by dog bites. Stray dogs are also a threat to other species of animals as they carry pathogens that get transmitted to the other species. Predation and economic losses due to stray dogs killing domesticated chickens and goats is some of the other problems faced by countries around the world. In this study we study a more novel target which is Gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) along with GnRH and ZP glycoprotein 3 (ZP3). Two recombinant fusion proteins ix were studied, one containing (GnRHR) along with GnRH and ZP glycoprotein 3 (ZP3) called as GVAC08 and the second containing GnRHR and GnRH called as GVAC09. The genes were assembled along with T cell epitopes of tetanus toxoid and canine distemper virus in order to increase the immunogenicity. GVAC08 and GVAC09 genes were cloned into pET28a vector and the proteins were expressed in BL21DE3 bacterial expression system. The expression of the proteins was optimized by varying IPTG concentration, varying the post induction time and temperature. The expressed proteins were then purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). newline newline