title: Linear epitopes of the replication-activator protein of Epstein-Barr virus recognised by specific serum IgG in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: The linear antigenic epitopes of the Epstein-Barr virus replication activator protein (ZEBRA), recognised by specific serum IgG in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), were determined. This was achieved by synthesizing the entire amino acid sequence of ZEBRA as a set of 29, 22-residue peptides with an overlap of 14 amino acids. The ZEBRA peptides were tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgG binding in sera from 37 selected NPC patients who had IgG antibodies to the native ZEBRA protein. The most immunogenic epitope was peptide 1 at the amino-terminal end with 36 of the sera reactive against it. Further analysis of peptide 1, using the multipin peptide-scanning technique, defined a 10-amino-acid sequence FTPDPYQVPF, which was strongly bound by IgG. Two other regions of ZEBRA were also identified as immunodominant IgG epitopes, namely peptide 11 (amino acids 82-103) and peptide 19/20 (amino acids 146-175) with 8-13 of the NPC sera reactive against the peptides. The number of peptides reactive with individual NPC serum varies from 1 to 6 or more and there is some correlation between a greater number of peptide (at least 4) bound and a higher (at least 1:40) titre of serum IgA to viral capsid antigen. The immunodominant ZEBRA peptide 1 could be utilised in IgG ELISA for the detection of NPC.
authors.affiliation: Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Research Laboratory, University of Malaya, Kuala, Lumpur.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Foong
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: AbuSamah
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dillner
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Sam
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C063676:BZLF1 protein, Herpesvirus 4, Human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014764:Viral Proteins