Expression of recombinant capsid protein of psittacine beak and feather disease virus capsid protein using Pichia pastoris system.

Psittacine beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is a haemagglutination circo virus causing psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) in psittacine birds. The infected birds showed feather dystrophy and occasionally associated with beak deformities. Development of vaccine and detection of the disease is difficult and ineffective due to this virus could not be cultured in tissue or cell lines and embryonated eggs. The aim of this study was to express recombinant capsid protein of BFDV using Pichia pastoris system. The recombinant protein was purified by affinity binding with Ni-NTA resin. From the results, the time point of protein expression was 48 hours after inducing with methanol. The recombinant capsid protein was expressed in inclusion bodies form. From SDS-PAGE analysis, the protein had molecular weight of 38 kDa. Moreover, Western blot analysis demonstrated that this recombinant protein could react with convalescent serum from BFDV-infected bird. Based on this information, it would be a potential to develop in house BFDV capsid protein-based diagnostic test and vaccine in the future.