title: Characterization of neutralizing domains on varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E defined by monoclonal antibodies.
abstract: The genome of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), encodes at least six glycoproteins and they elicit the formation of complement-independent, complement-dependent, and non-neutralizing antibody responses. We have used our library of MAbs to VZV glycoprotein E (gE) to determine the neutralizing epitopes of gE, and shown that gE has 3 distinct neutralizing domains. In this report we have used the baculovirus expression system to identify the antigenic domains of gE. We have generated 3 recombinant baculoviruses, expressing the full-length gE and two overlapping truncated forms (the amino-terminal and the carboxy-terminal) of gE. By immuno-fluorescence and immunoblotting we have explored the physical interactions of Mabs to gE on these constructs. Our panel of MAbs revealed 3 district antigenic domains on gE. All MAbs reacted with the full-length gE; MAbs with high titered complement-dependent neutralizing activities reacted with the N-terminal truncated gE; MAbs with low titered or non-neutralizing activities reacted with the C-terminal truncated gE; MAbs with complement-enhanced neutralizing activities reacted with both truncated constructs. However, although the antibody binding in immunofluorescence and immunoblotting was carried out under denatured conditions, whereas the neutralization is under non-denatured conditions, still the antigenic mapping was similar in both conditions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Communicable Disease Control, California State Department of Health Services, Berkeley 94704, U.S.A.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Forghani
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004279:DNA, Viral; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C044768:glycoprotein E, herpes simplex virus type 1