biostudies-literatureChugh SNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNIAID NIH HHSMichigan State University1031-1040https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9112674biostudies-literatureUnknown8(5)Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a C-type retrovirus of cattle that causes huge economic losses with high infection rates in the majority of countries worldwide. To develop an anti-BLV vaccine, we constructed a peptide conjugate using the envelope glycoprotein gp51-peptide epitope, a putative receptor-binding site. This highly antigenic peptide was covalently linked to a mutant bacteriophage carrier (mQβ) using two different linker strategies, isothiocyanate (NCS) and dinitrophenyl adipate. Both constructs elicited higher anti-BLV peptide IgG titers than the corresponding conjugate with keyhole limpet hemocyanin protein carrier (gold standard) in mice with the NCS linker strategy requiring less sample processing. The mQβ-gp51-peptide construct is the first BLV peptide-based vaccine candidateACS infectious diseasesDesign and Synthesis of Bovine Leukemia Virus-Associated Peptide-Based Qβ Conjugate Eliciting Long-Lasting Neutralizing Antibodies in Mice.PMC9112674R01 AI146210R01AI146210Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan VSwenson CHuang XChugh SfalseDesign and Synthesis of Bovine Leukemia Virus-Associated Peptide-Based Qβ Conjugate Eliciting Long-Lasting Neutralizing Antibodies in Mice.Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a C-type retrovirus of cattle that causes huge economic losses with high infection rates in the majority of countries worldwide. To develop an anti-BLV vaccine, we constructed a peptide conjugate using the envelope glycoprotein gp51-peptide epitope, a putative receptor-binding site. This highly antigenic peptide was covalently linked to a mutant bacteriophage carrier (mQβ) using two different linker strategies, isothiocyanate (NCS) and dinitrophenyl adipate. Both constructs elicited higher anti-BLV peptide IgG titers than the corresponding conjugate with keyhole limpet hemocyanin protein carrier (gold standard) in mice with the NCS linker strategy requiring less sample processing. The mQβ-gp51-peptide construct is the first BLV peptide-based vaccine candidate2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 May2025-05-29T16:22:58.382Z2025-05-29T16:22:58.382ZS-EPMC91126743548258310.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00001