title: Variability and immunogenicity of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus surface glycoprotein.
abstract: The complete surface glycoprotein (SU) nucleotide sequences of three French isolates of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) were determined and compared with those of previously described isolates: three American isolates and one French isolate. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the existence of four distinct and roughly equidistant evolutionary CAEV subtypes. Four conserved and five variable domains were identified in the SU. The fine specificities of antibodies produced against these domains during natural infection were examined using a pepscan analysis. Nine immunogenic segments were delineated throughout the conserved and variable domains of SU, two of them corresponding to conserved immunodominant epitopes. Antigenic determinants which may be involved in the immunopathogenic process induced by CAEV were identified. These results also provide sensitive and specific antigen peptides for the serological detection and differentiation of CAEV and visna/maedi virus infections.
authors.affiliation: AFSSA-Niort, Laboratoire de Recherches Caprines, F-79012 Niort Cedex, France. s.valas@niort.afssa.fr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baudry
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.forename: R Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Mamoun
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016088:Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus, Caprine / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006041:Goats; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins