Abstract:

New Zealand rabbits were immunized with the recombinant norovirus (NV) capsid protein expressed in E. coli
to prepare polyclonal antibody. The antiserum was collected and evaluated by ELISA method, and a comparative evaluation
with PCR was carried out by using both methods to detect NV-positive samples identified by PCR. The antiserum had a
good immunoreactivity at a dilution of 1:10 000, suggesting its availability for immunological experiments. Compared with
PCR, the ELISA method was more simple and rapid. Although the sensitivity of ELISA was worse than that of PCR, this
problem was able to be meliorated by purified virus. This study establishes the basis for a rapid and economical norovirus
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Key words: norovirus, capsid protein, prokaryotic expression system, polyclonal antibody