title: Assessment of immunoreactive synthetic peptides from the structural proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The widespread threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to human life has spawned challenges to develop fast and accurate analytical methods for its early diagnosis and to create a safe antiviral vaccine for preventive use. Consequently, we thoroughly investigated the immunoreactivities with patient sera of a series of synthesized peptides from SARS-coronavirus structural proteins.
  
  
  METHODS
  We synthesized 41 peptides ranging in size from 16 to 25 amino acid residues of relatively high hydrophilicity. The immunoreactivities of the peptides with SARS patient sera were determined by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four epitopic sites, S599, M137, N66, and N371-404, located in the SARS-coronavirus S, M, and N proteins, respectively, were detected by screening synthesized peptides. Notably, N371 and N385, located at the COOH terminus of the N protein, inhibited binding of antibodies to SARS-coronavirus lysate and bound to antibodies in >94% of samples from SARS study patients. N385 had the highest affinity for forming peptide-antibody complexes with SARS serum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Five peptides from SARS structural proteins, especially two from the COOH terminus of the N protein, appear to be highly immunogenic and may be useful for serologic assays. The identification of these antigenic peptides contributes to the understanding of the immunogenicity and persistence of SARS coronavirus.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, I-Zone, Shunyi, Beijing 101300, China.
authors.forename: Jingqiang
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authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Jingxiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianning
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authors.forename: Qingyu
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authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hao
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authors.forename: Yongkui
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authors.forename: E'de
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authors.lastname: Qin
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authors.forename: Xiaolei
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authors.forename: Shengyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ruifu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xumin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Xiaodai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Xiangjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Luoping
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authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bo
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authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Lianhua
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authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Jianqiu
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authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huanming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Matthew B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Aruni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
authors.forename: Youyong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ningzhi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Siqi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018604:Epitope Mapping / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D012698:Serologic Tests; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D014709:Vero Cells; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins