In the present study, a fragment of the VP28 coding sequence from a Brazilian WSSV isolate (BrVP28) was cloned,
sequenced and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) pLysS strain in order to produce the VP28 carboxyl-terminal
hydrophilic region. The expression resulted in a protein of about 21 kDa, which was purified under denaturing
conditions, resulting in a final highly purified BrVP28 preparation. The recombinant protein obtained can be used
in several biotechnology applications, such as the production of monoclonal antibodies which could be used in the
development of diagnostic tools as well as in the studies on the characterization of white spot syndrome virus
(WSSV) isolated in Brazil.
