Antibody response in cats to the envelope proteins of feline immunodeficiency virus: identification of an immunodominant neutralization domain.
Overlapping fragments of the envelope protein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) have been expressed in Escherichia coli. Screening of cat sera for antibodies to these fragments revealed that the immunodominant domain of the FIV envelope is localized within the transmembrane protein (amino acids 687-741) and that both the variable region 3 (SU3, aa 385-417) and the COOH-terminus (aa 599-611) of the surface protein (SU) are highly immunogenic. Of all rabbit sera raised to the envelope protein fragments only the serum directed to SU3 was neutralizing. Both FIV-infected and SU3-immunized cats elicited neutralizing antibodies to SU3. Neutralizing antibodies in sera of infected cats could be absorbed by SU3, showing that SU3 is a major neutralization domain of FIV.
de Ronde
A
A
Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Stam
J G
JG
Boers
P
P
Langedijk
H
H
Meloen
R
R
Hesselink
W
W
Keldermans
L C
LC
van Vliet
A
A
Verschoor
E J
EJ
Horzinek
M C
MC
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D002415:Cats; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins