Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus capsid protein VP60 (VP60)

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus capsid protein VP60 is the major structural component of the Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV), a member of the Caliciviridae family [1, 4]. The viral capsid is composed of 180 subunits of VP60, which self-assemble into icosahedral virus-like particles (VLPs) that protect the viral RNA genome [5, 13]. Biologically, VP60 is responsible for viral attachment to host cells by interacting with histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs), facilitating viral entry and subsequent infection [14]. In the context of disease, RHDV causes a highly contagious and often fatal condition in rabbits characterized by acute necrotizing hepatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation [1, 11]. Because VP60 is the most immunogenic protein of the virus, it is the primary target for vaccine development and diagnostic assays [2, 5]. Recombinant vaccines utilizing VP60 expressed in various systems, such as baculovirus or yeast, have been developed to induce protective immunity and are critical for controlling outbreaks in both domestic and wild rabbit populations [3, 6, 10].

Other names

Major capsid proteinMCPVP1Capsid protein VP60

The VP60 protein serves as the primary antigen in vaccines, inducing the production of neutralizing antibodies that bind to the viral capsid, thereby preventing viral attachment to host histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) and subsequent cellular entry [3, 6, 14].