The Use of Peptides in Veterinary Serodiagnosis of Infectious Diseases: A Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The diagnosis of several animal diseases is critical when animal health is threatened and can cause a serious financial loss, although different diagnostic tools implemented are not always affordable or easy to perform. Serological diagnosis is successful in this aspect, however, there are not always suitable antigens, or these show low levels of sensitivity and specificity. Some studies with peptides applied to serological diagnoses that have been implemented in recent years with their respective observations are explored. The use of small sequences that can be synthesized and customized is attractive and functional in some diseases from domestic animals and wildlife. This review highlights the possibilities and limitations of peptides and will help researchers and people interested in implementing a diagnostic system to decide between them for several animal diseases. ABSTRACT: Peptides constitute an alternative and interesting option to develop treatments, vaccines, and diagnostic tools as they demonstrate their scope in several health aspects; as proof of this, commercial peptides for humans and animals are available on the market and used daily. This review aimed to know the role of peptides in the field of veterinary diagnosis, and include peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (pELISA), lateral flow devices, and peptide latex agglutination tests that have been developed to detect several pathogens including viruses and bacteria of health and production relevance in domestic animals. Studies in cattle, small ruminants, dogs, cats, poultry, horses, and even aquatic organisms were reviewed. Different studies showed good levels of sensitivity and specificity against their target, moreover, comparisons with commercial kits and official tests were performed which allowed appraising their performance. Chemical synthesis, recombinant DNA technology, and enzymatic synthesis were reviewed as well as their advantages and drawbacks. In addition, we discussed the intrinsic limitations such as the small size or affinity to polystyrene membrane and mention several strategies to overcome these problems. The use of peptides will increase in the coming years and their utility for diagnostic purposes in animals must be evaluated.