Identification of B-cell epitopes on the betanodavirus capsid protein.
The pepscan procedure was used to identify betanodavirus B-cell epitopes recognized by neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and serum samples obtained from sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, naturally infected with betanodavirus. Pepscan was performed with a panel of thirty-four 12-mer synthetic peptides that mimicked the entire betanodavirus capsid protein. Sea bass serum samples reacted strongly with three regions of the capsid protein comprising amino acid residues 1-32, 91-162 and 181-212. The latter region was also recognized by neutralizing MAbs and coincided with a region of high antigenic propensity identified by an antigen prediction algorithm. These data suggest that a region of the betanodavirus capsid protein spanning amino acid residues 181-212 may represent a neutralization domain that could potentially be used to inform the development of nodavirus vaccines and immunodiagnostic reagents.
Costa
J Z
JZ
Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. janina.costa@stir.ac.uk
Adams
A
A
Bron
J E
JE
Thompson
K D
KD
Starkey
W G
WG
Richards
R H
RH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001492:Bass / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D030381:Nodaviridae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte