title: A linear B-cell epitope on the class 3 outer-membrane protein of Neisseria meningitidis recognized after vaccination with the Norwegian group B outer-membrane vesicle vaccine.
abstract: The class 3 outer-membrane protein (OMP) of Neisseria meningitidis is a potential target for bactericidal and opsonic antibodies in humans. Synthetic peptides spanning the class 3 OMP from the vaccine strain 44/76 (B:15:P1.7,16:L3,7) were synthesized on pins and screened with serum obtained from Norwegian adolescents immunized with a meningococcal serogroup B outer-membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccine. A strong IgG response to a single peptide (19FHQNGQVTEVTT30) located within loop 1 (VR1) was stimulated after three doses of OMV vaccine in three vaccinees selected on the basis of their antibody response to class 3 OMP. No clear linear B-cell epitopes were recognized by four different murine serotype 15-specific mAbs. A 23mer peptide (D63b2) containing loop 1 of the class 3 OMP was synthesized, and the IgG responses were measured in pre- and post-vaccination serum from 27 vaccinees. Specific IgG rose significantly in 37% of vaccinees 6 weeks after the second dose and in 74% of the vaccinees 6 weeks after the third dose of the OMV vaccine. Most immune sera reacted distinctly on immunoblots with denatured class 3 OMP, and the immunoblotting reactivity correlated strongly with concentration of the IgG antibodies specific for peptide D63b2. When added to a post-vaccination serum from one vaccinee, peptide D63b2 competed efficiently with the class 3 OMP for specific antibody binding on immunoblots and in pin ELISA. The results show that the significant part of the humoral response to the meningococcal class 3 OMP elicited by vaccination with the Norwegian OMV vaccine was directed against a single continuous epitope.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Department of Vaccines, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Delvig
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wedege
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Caugant
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dalseg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Achtman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosenqvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D018272:Porins; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010455:Peptides; D018272:Porins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; C057699:porin protein, Neisseria