Assessment of immunoreactive synthetic peptides from the structural proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
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.
Wang
Jingqiang
J
Beijing Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, I-Zone, Shunyi, Beijing 101300, China.
Wen
Jie
J
Li
Jingxiang
J
Yin
Jianning
J
Zhu
Qingyu
Q
Wang
Hao
H
Yang
Yongkui
Y
Qin
E'de
E
You
Bo
B
Li
Wei
W
Li
Xiaolei
X
Huang
Shengyong
S
Yang
Ruifu
R
Zhang
Xumin
X
Yang
Ling
L
Zhang
Ting
T
Yin
Ye
Y
Cui
Xiaodai
X
Tang
Xiangjun
X
Wang
Luoping
L
He
Bo
B
Ma
Lianhua
L
Lei
Tingting
T
Zeng
Changqing
C
Fang
Jianqiu
J
Yu
Jun
J
Wang
Jian
J
Yang
Huanming
H
West
Matthew B
MB
Bhatnagar
Aruni
A
Lu
Youyong
Y
Xu
Ningzhi
N
Liu
Siqi
S
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*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins