[Neutralization of foot-and-mouth disease virus O1 Campos by antibodies induced by a synthetic peptide].

Foot-and-Mouth disease virus (FMDV), contains a positive single-stranded RNA enclosed in a protein capsid. Previous studies have shown that a synthetic peptide located at the carboxyterminal end of VP1 of FMDV strain O1 Kaufbeuren (O1K) at the amino acid positions 144-159, and coupled to KLH was able to elicit high titers of neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs and protected them against challenge with the homologous virus (8, 15). FMDV strain O1 Campos (O1 Ca) has a similar amino acid sequence to O1K, differing in amino acid 144 (leucin instead valine). We report that the O1K synthetic peptide 144-159 protects adult mice against challenge with FMDV O1Ca when the peptide is coupled to KLH with glutaraldehyde as coupling agent (Table 2) whereas protection is very low when other carrier proteins are used.