Selection and Characterization of a Single-Chain Variable Fragment against Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Capsid and Impedimetric Immunosensor Development

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD) that causes huge global economic losses for the swine industry. Effective strategies or rapid detection of PCV2 in pig are essential to control PCVAD. Here, single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) were selected and characterized against the PCV2 capsid using phage display technology. Phage scFv clones were selected from the human scFv phagemid library (Tomlinson I + J) for direct panning against the PCV2 capsid. Eighty-four monoclonal phage scFvs were individually tested for binding to the PCV2 capsid by ELISA. Eight scFv clones showed significant binding to the PCV2 capsid and only three clones (clone nos. 13, 37, and 81) contained both VHCDRs and VLCDRs in the sequence. Clone scFv no. 81 had the highest reactivity to the PCV2 capsid and was constructed in the pET22b (+) expression vector. The recombinant was transformed to Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) for expression and purification. The scFv showed appropriate affinity to the PCV2 capsid by western blot analysis. Kinetics of scFv and the PCV2 capsid were determined using surface plasmon resonance and showed binding affinity in the nanomolar range (K-D = 57.2 nM). Our scFv was first applied in the development of an impedimetric immunosensor for PCV2 capsid detection, and results showed that impedance increased with increasing PCV2 capsid expression with limit of detection = 114 nM. Findings demonstrated that our scFv has potential for use as a receptor for biosensor devices.

Automated summary

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the main cause of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD), resulting in significant economic losses for the swine industry globally. In this study, single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) were selected and characterized against the PCV2 capsid using phage display technology. This research demonstrates the potential of scFvs as receptors for biosensor devices in the detection of PCV2 capsid.