Cloning of a Rift Valley Fever fusion gene in a plant virus derived replicon vector

Rift Valley fever (RVF) disease is an emerging viral zoonotic disease caused by Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). RVF disease is seemingly becoming more severe in endemic populations and in areas of new outbreak. RVF disease is listed by WHO as requiring urgent research and development attention. There is no therapeutics or licensed vaccine for human use in the case of an eventual outbreak. There is a need to clone RVFV genes in cloning vectors which may be useful to produce antigens in plant cells or may be tested directly as DNA vaccines. A synthesized Rift Valley fever virus fusion gene was cloned in a bean yellow dwarf virus derived replicon vector; PBYR2e3K2Mc-GFP by removing and replacing the GFP gene. The cloned PBYR2e3K2Mc-RVFV fusion gene was confirmed by PCR, restriction digestion and DNA sequencing. This cloned RVFV fusion gene in plant virus vector can be used for subsequent protein expression in plants cells or used directly tested as DNA vaccines in future studies