Cambridge Research Biochemicals News and Blog

Latest news

23 Jun 2021

A highly specific antibody to Cache Valley Virus

Alain Kohl’s team at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research chose to recruit the technical expertise of Cambridge Research Biochemicals (CRB) to raise custom polyclonal antibodies specific to the mosquito born Peribunyaviridae family virus; Cache Valley virus (CVV) as well as to Kairi-virus (KRIV). CVV has a tri-segmented, single-stranded genome with negative or ambi-sense polarity which encode four structural proteins. This novel antibody is raised against the nucleocaspid proteins from this virus.  

”The whole process was very efficient” comments Alain Kohl. “From initial contact and technical advice, target design to documentation and final data, the interactions at every level worked very well. We got these antibodies very quickly and they delivered.” 

CVV is an economically important animal and human pathogen which is widespread throughout North and Central America. CVV infections in sheep can causes congenital defects, spontaneous abortion and stillbirth with sporadic outbreaks of CVV resulting in the loss of a large number of lambs from North American farms. In humans CVV can cause central nervous system (CNS) diseases and occasionally death.

Alain Kohl’s team in Glasgow required antibodies to specifically detect CVV and KRIV. Therefore here at CRB the peptide antigens were carefully designed to ensure a narrow specificity. The Anti-CVV antibody can recognise the nucleocapsid protein in CVV and Batai virus but not other members of the Bunyamwera serogroup such as Kairi virus.

Western blot analysis of BHK-21 cells infected with a variety of orthobunyaviruses using Anti-CVV as the primary antibody. 1: CVV (Bunyamwera). 2: KRIV (Bunyamwera). 3: Bunyamwera virus (Bunyamwera). 4: Batai virus (Bunyamwera). 5: M’poko virus (Turlock). 6: Tacaiuma virus (Anopheles A). 7: Bwamba virus (Bwamba). 8: Guama virus (Guama). 9: Eretmapodites virus (Nyando). 10: Akabane virus (Simbu). 11: Schmallenberg virus (Simbu). Secondary: Goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugated to HRP. Image provided courtesy of Dr Alain Kohl’s Laboratory, MRC, University of Glasgow.

Here at CRB we were able to help at every stage of antibody production. We provide an in-house antigenic selection service from our expert immunology team, we also synthesise and conjugate our highly purified antigen peptides in-house allowing us to ensure the highest possible quality for this vital stage. Our immunology protocol involves regular monitoring to allow us to make adjustments to the inocculations if required, we also offer our highly refined peptide affinity chromatography purification service to ensure effective purification of specific antibodies.

Prof. Alain Kohl, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research

“CRB have been extremely helpful and approachable both during the development and after the production of the antibodies. I would recommend them highly.

The Anti-Cache Valley Virues (CVV) Antibody and the Anti-Kairi virus (KRIV) antibody are now available to buy via CRB’s DISCOVERY® Antibodies catalogue.

The CRB team are experts at generating custom made antisera against a wide and complex range of targets to include post-translational modifications, peptides, proteins and drug antibodies and have refined their in-house methodology over 40 years of business. Consultation on peptide design and perfected purification techniques help to encourage project success and the project can be tailored to suit the customers’ requirements.

CRB has an excellent publication record which can be viewed here.