Abstract: Foot and out disease virus (FMDV) is worldwide problem. Rapid isolation, serotyping and vaccine matching of FMDV from infected animals is critical to enable the implementation of effective vaccination programs and to stop the spread of infection during outbreaks. Current virus isolation protocols use primary cells, known to be susceptible to FMDV, or baby hamster kidney cells (BHK-21) and other cell lines that are not highly sensitive to some strains of FMDV. The ?V?6 integrin is a principal receptor for FMDV. We therefore transduced the porcine kidney cell line, LFBK, to stably express both the ?V and ?6 bovine integrin subunits. The LFBK-?V?6 cell line showed both ?6 expression and enhanced susceptibility to FMDV infection for at least 100 cell passages. LFBK-?V?6 cells are highly sensitive for detecting all serotypes of FMDV from experimentally infected animals, including the porcinophillic strain O/TAW/97 and are thus a sensitive tool for FMDV isolation.

Abstract: A method of making a genetically-engineered cell line which is susceptible to infection by foot-and-mouth disease virus and allows the virus to replicate is disclosed. The method involves fusing the DNA encoding ICAM-1 with the DNA encoding an antibody specific for foot-and-mouth disease virus and expressing the resulting chimeric cell surface receptor protein. The chimeric cell surface receptor protein allows foot-and-mouth disease virus to bind, leading to subsequent infection and replication of foot-and-mouth disease virus. A genetically-engineered cell which expresses the chimeric cell surface receptor protein is also claimed.

Abstract: A safe, effective vaccine for the protection of susceptible animals against foot-and-mouth disease has been produced. The vaccine comprises a mutant virus from which the amino acid sequence Gly-Val-Arg-Gly-Asp-Phe (SEQ ID NO: 8) from the G-H loop of VP1 has been deleted and replaced with the amino acid sequence Asn-Pro. The mutant virus retains its antigenicity but is not infectious.