title: Immunological evaluation of Escherichia coli-derived hepatitis C virus second envelope protein (E2) variants.
abstract: Two variants of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 envelope protein, lacking the C-terminal domain and comprising amino acids 458-650 (E2A) and 382-605 (E2C), respectively, were efficiently produced in BL21 (DE3) Escherichia coli cells. E2A and E2C were used to immunize mice. The E2C variant induced the maximal mean antibody titer. Anti-E2C mouse sera reacted mainly with E2 synthetic peptides covering the 70 amino acid N-terminal region of the E2 protein. Moreover, a panel of anti-HCV positive human sera recognized only the E2C protein (28.2%) and the synthetic peptide covering the HVR-1 of the E2 protein (23.1%). These data indicate the existence of an immunologically relevant region in the HVR-1 of the HCV E2 protein.
authors.affiliation: HCV Department, Vaccine Division, Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, Havana City, Cuba. santiago.duenas@cigb.edu.cu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dueñas-Carrera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viña
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Garay
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Lajonchere
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morales
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C400562:HVR1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007106:Immune Sera; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus