Peptide mimicrying between SARS coronavirus spike protein and human proteins reacts with SARS patient serum.
Molecular mimicry, defined as similar structures shared by molecules from dissimilar genes or proteins, is a general strategy used by pathogens to infect host cells. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new human respiratory infectious disease caused by SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV plays an important role in the virus entry into a cell. In this study, eleven synthetic peptides from the S protein were selected based on its sequence homology with human proteins. Two of the peptides D07 (residues 927-937) and D08 (residues 942-951) were recognized by the sera of SARS patients. Murine hyperimmune sera against these peptides bound to proteins of human lung epithelial cells A549. Another peptide D10 (residues 490-502) stimulated A549 to proliferate and secrete IL-8. The present results suggest that the selected S protein regions, which share sequence homology with human proteins, may play important roles in SARS-CoV infection.
Hwa
K-Y
KY
Department of Molecular Science and Engineering, Center for Biomedical Industries, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
Lin
W M
WM
Hou
Y-I
YI
Yeh
T-M
TM
D001665:Binding Sites; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry*; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D011485:Protein Binding; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry*
D001798:Blood Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C578557:spike glycoprotein, SARS-CoV; C578553:spike protein, mouse hepatitis virus