title: Characterization of Puumala virus nucleocapsid protein: identification of B-cell epitopes and domains involved in protective immunity.
abstract: B-cell epitopes in the nucleocapsid protein (N) of Puumala (PUU) virus were investigated by use of truncated recombinant proteins and overlapping peptides. Six of seven epitopes, recognized by bank vole monoclonal antibodies, were localized within the amino-terminal region of the protein (aa 1-79). Polyclonal antibodies from wild-trapped or experimentally infected bank voles identified epitopes located over the entire protein. Antibody end-point titers to different N fragments indicated that the amino-terminal region is the major antigenic target in PUU virus-infected bank voles. To investigate the role of PUU virus N in protective immunity, we analyzed the immunogenicity of truncated recombinant N and developed an animal model based on colonized bank voles. No PUU virus N antigen, nor any glycoprotein-specific antibodies, could be detected after virus challenge in animals immunized with an amino-terminal fragment (aa 1-118), a fragment covering two thirds of the animals immunized with shorter N fragments displayed either N antigen, or glycoprotein-specific antibodies, suggestive of partial protection. Prechallenge sera from all groups of immunized animals were found negative or only weakly positive for neutralizing antibodies when assayed by focus reduction neutralization test, which indicated an important role for cell-mediated immunity in protection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense Microbiology, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lundkvist
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kallio-Kokko
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Sjölander
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lankinen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niklasson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaheri
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vapalahti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae; D001483:Base Sequence; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017931:DNA Primers; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018411:Spodoptera; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines