Contraceptive efficacy of recombinant porcine zona proteins and fusion protein encompassing canine ZP3 fragment and GnRH in female beagle dogs.

Problem: To manage population of dogs (Canis familiaris), the efficacy of recombinant proteins-based contraceptive vaccines to inhibit fertility has been evaluated in female beagle dogs.

Method Of Study: Female beagle dogs (n = 4) were immunized with physical mixture of Escherichia coli-expressed recombinant porcine ZP3 with promiscuous T cell epitope of tetanus toxoid (TT-KK-pZP3) and porcine ZP4 with promiscuous T cell epitope of bovine RNase (bRNase-KK-pZP4), or with a fusion protein encompassing dog ZP3 fragment and two copies of GnRH with appropriate promiscuous T cell epitopes (dZP3-GnRH ); control animals received only alum, the adjuvant. The immunized animals were followed-up for antibody titres by ELISA as well as for fertility status subsequent to mating with male dogs.