Antigenicities of Group I and II hepatitis C virus polypeptides--molecular basis of diagnosis.
Comparative nucleotide sequence studies on the putative NS3 and NS4 regions of the genomes of hepatitis C viruses (HCV) have revealed that there are at least two groups of HCV, group I and group II. The cDNA clone E, corresponding to a boundary between the NS3 and NS4 (NS3-4) region of the group II HCV genome, encodes antigens that react to antibodies specific to group II HCV (Tsukiyama-Kohara et al. (1991) Virus Genes 5, 243-254). To understand the molecular basis of the group-specific antigenicity of HCV peptides, the predicted amino acid sequences around the NS3-4 region of our group II HCV cDNAs were compared with those of other HCV isolates. The analysis revealed the presence of group-specific amino acids in this peptide region. Evolutionary analysis of nucleotide sequences within this region of these HCV isolates also led to the same classification. A similar result was obtained by sequence analysis of cloned cDNAs corresponding to the core region. A cDNA of the group II HCV core region was prepared by polymerase chain reaction from the cDNA synthesized with group II-specific primer complementary to the NS3-4 region. The products directed by the cDNA of the core region did not have group-specific antigenicity. The NS3 peptide region also appeared not to carry group-specific antigens. Our results indicate that most HCV isolates can be classified into either group I or II, and that the existence of two groups of HCV does not disturb HCV diagnosis as long as core and/or NS3 peptides are used to detect HCV antibodies.
Tsukiyama-Kohara
K
K
Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan.
Yamaguchi
K
K
Maki
N
N
Ohta
Y
Y
Miki
K
K
Mizokami
M
M
Ohba
K
K
Tanaka
S
S
Hattori
N
N
Nomoto
A
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015723:Gene Library; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins