title: Analysis of the antibody response to an immunodominant epitope of the envelope glycoprotein of a lentivirus and its diagnostic potential.
abstract: The envelope glycoprotein of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) is a major target of the humoral immune response and contains several linear B-cell epitopes. We amplified and sequenced the genomic segment encoding the SU5 antigenic site of the envelope glycoprotein of several SRLV field isolates. With synthetic peptides based on the deduced amino acid sequences of SU5 in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we have (i) proved the immunodominance of this region regardless of its high variability, (ii) defined the epitopes encompassed by SU5, (iii) illustrated the rapid and peculiar kinetics of seroconversion to this antigenic site, and (iv) shown the rapid and strong maturation of the avidity of the anti-SU5 antibody. Finally, we demonstrated the modular diagnostic potential of SU5 peptides. Under Swiss field conditions, the SU5 ELISA was shown to detect the majority of infected animals and, when applied in a molecular epidemiological context, to permit rapid phylogenetic classification of the infecting virus.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Virology, Laenggass-Str. 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mordasini
authors.forename: Hans-Rudolf
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Marie-Luise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zahno
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maeschli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nenci
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zanoni
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peterhans
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertoni
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006041:Goats; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D007700:Kinetics; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D017972:Lentiviruses, Ovine-Caprine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013557:Switzerland; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins