Patent ID: 8241847

Claim:
A method of identifying GP5-M heterodimers that elicit protection against PRRSV comprising: administering to a test pig a first GP5-M heterodimer, of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) wherein the GP5 has glycosylation at position 44 of the GP5 of a North American (NA) porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PSSRV) wherein the position number 44 is determined from sequence alignment with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or glycosylation at position 46 of the GP5 of a European (EU) PRRSV, wherein the position number 46 is determined from sequence alignment with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4; and administering to the test pig a second GP5-M heterodimer, wherein the GP5 of the second GP5-M heterodimer does not have glycosylation at position 44 of GP5 of a North American (NA) PRRSV wherein the position number 44 is determined from sequence alignment with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or at position 46 of the GP5 of a European (EU) PRRSV wherein the position number 46 is determined from sequence alignment with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4; challenging the test pig administered the first and second GP5-M heterodimers and a control pig not administered the first and second GP5-M heterodimers with an infectious amount of a virus that causes PRRS; and determining whether the first and second administered GP5-M heterodimers are effective in protecting against the challenge PRRSV by observing differences between the test pig and control pig in symptoms of PRRSV.