Phage display for identifying peptides that bind the spike protein of transmissible gastroenteritis virus and possess diagnostic potential

The spike (S) protein of porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) is located within the viral envelope and is the only structural protein that possesses epitopes capable of inducing virus-neutralizing antibodies. Among the four N-terminal antigenic sites A, B, C, and D, site A and to a lesser extent site D (S-AD) induce key neutralizing antibodies. Recently, we expressed S-AD (rS-AD) in recombinant form. In the current study, we used the rS-AD as an immobilized target to identify peptides from a phage-display library with application for diagnosis. Among the 9 phages selected that specifically bound to rS-AD, the phage bearing the peptide TLNMHLFPFHTG bound with the highest affinity and was subsequently used to develop a phage-based ELISA for TGEV. When compared with conventional antibody-based ELISA, phage-mediated ELISA was more sensitive; however, it did not perform better than semi-quantitative RT-PCR, though phage-mediated ELISA was quicker and easier to set up.