title: A strongly immunoreactive virion protein of human herpesvirus 6 variant B strain Z29: identification and characterization of the gene and mapping of a variant-specific monoclonal antibody reactive epitope.
abstract: We previously identified a 101-kDa apparent molecular mass polypeptide (101K) as the major immunoreactive virion protein of human herpesvirus 6 variant B strain Z29 [HHV-6B(Z29)] and found that the human immune response to this protein is HHV-6-specific (Yamamoto, M., Black, J. B., Stewart, J. A., Lopez, C., and Pellett, P. E., 1990, J. Clin. Microbiol. 28, 1957-1962). We report here the identification and characterization of the gene encoding 101K. We found 81% amino acid identity between an HHV-6B(Z29) open reading frame (ORF) and its homolog in HHV-6A strain U1102 [HHV-6A(U1102)]. The product of this gene was identified as 101K on the basis of both the reactivity of a 101K-specific monoclonal antibody (MAb C3108-103) with a bacterially expressed portion of the gene and the reactivity of polyclonal rabbit antibodies raised against the bacterially expressed protein with 101K expressed by HHV-6B(Z29)-infected cells. MAb C3108-103 reacted with eight of eight variant B isolates and none of six variant A isolates, indicating that it is a variant-specific MAb. The MAb reactivity was mapped to an eight-amino-acid segment of 101K. HHV-6A(U1102) differs from HHV-6B(Z29) by two amino acids in this region; substitution mapping with synthetic oligopeptides mapped the variant B specificity to Asp723, this explaining the failure of the MAb to react with variant A proteins. A set of transcripts appropriately sized for expression of 101K was identified and precisely mapped. The transcripts originated down-stream from either of two TATA boxes located 139 bp apart in the region 5' to the 101K ORF, with one 5'-species being much more abundant. Two independent polyadenylation sites were identified; the canonical polyadenylation signal located 3' to the 101K ORF was used much more frequently than was the atypical polyadenylation signal located within the 101K ORF. These results suggest a complex regulatory mechanism for this gene.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Pellett
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Martínez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dominguez
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Greenamoyer
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Dambaugh
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C082253:101K protein, Human herpesvirus 6; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins