title: An immunodominant, cross-reactive B-cell epitope region is located at the C-terminal part of the hamster polyomavirus major capsid protein VP1.
abstract: The VP1 represents the major capsid protein of the hamster polyomavirus (HaPV). Here we describe the mapping of epitopes along the VP1 using Escherichia coli-expressed VP1-dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) fusion proteins and PepScan analysis. By use of DHFR fusion proteins an immunodominant region was localized in the C-terminal part of VP1 between amino acids 320-384. Further epitopes are located in the regions amino acids 1-133 and amino acids 133-320, respectively. There were no obvious differences in the reactivity between sera of tumor-bearing and papilloma-free naturally HaPV-infected hamsters. In contrast, PepScan analysis revealed linear epitopes in the regions amino acids 79-97 and amino acids 353-367 for tumor-bearing animals and amino acids 101-113 and amino acids 165-179 for papilloma-free animals. The region between amino acids 320-384 of HaPV-VP1 was found to be involved in cross-reactivity of VP1 from HaPV and other polyomaviruses. Previously we have demonstrated that heterologous expression of HaPV-VP1 allowed the formation of virus-like particles (VLPs). From epitope mapping data and structural predictions it has been suggested that HaPV-VP1-VLPs may tolerate foreign peptides in the region amino acids 81-88 and the C-terminal part of VP1.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Charité Medical School, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Siray
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frömmel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voronkova
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider-Mergener
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scherneck
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ulrich
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D006224:Cricetinae; D003429:Cross Reactions; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010212:Papilloma / Q000276:immunology; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D007106:Immune Sera; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C062481:VP1 protein, polyomavirus