title: Localization and immunological characterization of antigenic domains of the rabies virus internal N and NS proteins.
abstract: To locate epitopes on internal antigens of rabies virus, purified N and NS proteins of the nucleocapsid were cleaved at methionine, tryptophan or glutamic acid residues, transferred to nitrocellulose and immunostained using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for N and NS proteins, respectively. Five MAb-positive fragments of N protein and one fragment of NS protein were located after NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis within the deduced amino acid sequences of N and NS proteins. Antigenic analysis of synthetic overlapping peptides corresponding to the amino acid sequences of these fragments localized two major antigenic sites of N protein and one antigenic site of NS protein. Like the N- and NS-specific MAbs, anti-peptide antisera produced against the different synthetic antigens either reacted in a type-common fashion with all rabies virus strains, or in a type-specific manner with a restricted number of strains. The synthetic peptides corresponding to the three antigenic regions of the N and NS proteins also stimulated proliferation of human T lymphocytes derived from vaccinees who received inactivated rabies virus vaccine. This suggested that the antigenic regions of N and NS proteins are recognized by both B and T cells.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D010455:Peptides; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins