Inoculation with DNA encoding the glycoprotein gp2 reduces severity of equine herpesvirus 1 infection in a mouse respiratory model.

The envelope glycoprotein 2 (gp2) of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) has no known homologue in other herpesviruses with the exception of some equid alphaherpesviruses. In order to investigate the potential of gp2 as a vaccine antigen, expression vectors were constructed to encode full-length gp2, a truncated version lacking the membrane anchor, and the C-terminal region. Intramuscular inoculation of mice with these DNA constructs induced neutralizing antibody against EHV-1 and, following intranasal challenge with EHV-1, mice inoculated with any of the gp2 DNA constructs cleared virus more rapidly from their lungs than control mice. The rate of clearance was comparable to that for glycoprotein D DNA, indicating gp2 as a potential antigen for inclusion in a subunit vaccine.