[Studies on mimotopes of hepatitis C virus E1 protein].
OBJECTIVE
To study the B-cell epitope of E1 protein of hepatitis C virus.


METHODS
By induction of IPTG, the E.coli M15 strains harboring the pQE30-HCVe118 expressed truncated C-terminal HCV E1 protein (Pte1). The proteins were purified with preparative electrophoreses system, which captured anti-E1 IgG in HCV (+) sera. By applying the antibodies as selective molecular 12 mers random peptide libraries were panned, and positive clones were obtained by ELISA. Amino acid sequences of display peptide were compared with that of HCV E1 protein.


RESULTS
The purified HCV E1 proteins could react specifically with partly anti-HCV sera by ELISA. Among 10 phage display peptides, 6, 6, 2 were the most homologous to HCV E1 protein at position 320-336aa, 251-263aa, 225-248, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
There exist multiple B-cell epitopes in HCV E1 protein. At least one preponderant epitope is mapped at residues 320-336 of HCV E1 protein.
Cao
F
F
Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union College. Chengdu 610081, China.
Shi
X
X
Du
Y
Y
Hou
L
L
Ji
Y
Y
Wang
H
H
D020816:Amino Acid Motifs / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019151:Peptide Library; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D004279:DNA, Viral; C087035:E1 protein, Hepatitis C virus; D000939:Epitopes; D019151:Peptide Library; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins