title: The epitope study on the SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein.
abstract: The nucleocapsid protein (N protein) has been found to be an antigenic protein in a number of coronaviruses. Whether the N protein in severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is antigenic remains to be elucidated. Using Western blot and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), the recombinant N proteins and the synthesized peptides derived from the N protein were screened in sera from SARS patients. All patient sera in this study displayed strong positive immunoreactivities against the recombinant N proteins, whereas normal sera gave negative immunoresponses to these proteins, indicating that the N protein of SARS-CoV is an antigenic protein. Furthermore, the epitope sites in the N protein were determined by competition experiments, in which the recombinant proteins or the synthesized peptides competed against the SARS-CoV proteins to bind to the antibodies raised in SARS sera. One epitope site located at the C-terminus was confirmed as the most antigenic region in this protein. A detailed screening of peptide with ELISA demonstrated that the amino sequence from Codons 371 to 407 was the epitope site at the C-terminus of the N protein. Understanding of the epitope sites could be very significant for developing an effective diagnostic approach to SARS.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101300, China.
authors.forename: Shuting
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianning
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Cuiqi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xumin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jingqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhengfeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jinxiu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Jianqiu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Ningzhi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Siqi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D010957:Plasmids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins