The Relationship Between Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype A and Expression of α-v-β3 Integrin receptor in Suspended BHK-21 Cells

Infection of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is initiated by binding to cellular receptor molecules of the integrin family. Integrin αvβ3 has been identified as one of the RGD-binding integrins. The aim of this study is the determination of αvβ3 integrin receptor expression variations during subsequent passages of BHK-21 suspension cell cultures on the A-type FMDV quality. Anchorage dependent BHK-21 cells were adapted to grow in submerged system suspension cell culture, and with subsequently cultivated for 40 serial passages in the bioreactor. During this period, the expression of αvβ3 integrin receptor was determined by the Western blotting technique in the intervals of subsequent cell culture passages before FMDV inoculation. Modifications of the plaque morphology during serial BHK-21 passages infected with FMDV were detected by plaque assay. Fluctuations and abnormal expression of integrin in BHK-21 suspension cells were found to be associated with the number of passages in suspension culture. These changes took place on the surface properties of cells, and significant reduction was observed in the αvβ3 integrin receptor expression, where it also negatively affected the FMDV plaque characters. This study will provide a better quality FMD vaccine production with higher immunity and more extended efficiency properties. Besides that, it is also a pioneering study in the diagnosis of other viruses which use integrin receptors and their respective vaccines.