Antibody response to a fragment of the protein G of VHS rhabdovirus in immunised trout.
A fragment (called frg#11, amino acids, aa 56-110) of the protein G (pG) of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) was designed after previous results showed it to be recognised by approximately 40% of the trout immunised to VHSV [Dis. Aquat. Organ. 34 (1999) 167]. frg#11 was then cloned, expressed, purified and used to study the production of antibodies to its epitopes in trout immunised to VHSV. Anti-frg#11 trout antibodies could be detected in serum from individual trout surviving VHSV exposure, immunised by injection with purified VHSV or DNA-immunised with its pG gene whereas it was not detected in non-infected and non-immunised trout. The trout serum antibodies which reacted more strongly by ELISA using solid-phase frg#11 (continuous or linear epitopes on the sequence of the pG) had the lowest VHSV-neutralising activity (epitopes which are pG conformation-dependent). Because antibodies recognising continuous as well as conformation-dependent epitopes of the pG seem to be involved in protective trout immunological responses to VHSV, the estimation of anti-frg#11 antibodies could help to the dissection of the complex trout antibody response to VHSV infections. In addition, these preliminary results suggest that the determination of anti-frg#11 antibodies might also be used to complement in vitro viral neutralising assays which seem to be restricted to pG conformation-dependent epitopes.
Rocha
A
A
INIA, SGIT, Biotecnología, Crt. Coruña Km 7, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
Fernandez-Alonso
M
M
Mas
V
V
Perez
L
L
Estepa
A
A
Coll
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D029141:Novirhabdovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins