Detection of four genetic subgroup-specific antibodies to human metapneumovirus attachment (G) protein in human serum.
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) strains are classified into two genetic groups, A and B, each of which is further divided in two genetic subgroups, A1, A2, B1 and B2. hMPV encodes two major surface glycoproteins, the fusion (F) and attachment (G) proteins, which may be immunogenic and protective antigens. Although the amino acid sequences of hMPV F protein are highly conserved, those of the G protein are highly variable with low amino acid identity between the two groups. To address the antigenic variation between the genetic subgroups, we developed an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) method using Trichoplusia ni (Tn5) insect cells infected with each recombinant baculovirus-expressed hMPV G (Bac-G) protein of the four genetic subgroups. The titre of each antibody to the four Bac-G proteins was measured by the IFA in 12 paired serum samples obtained from children infected with hMPV of each genetic subgroup. Although 11 of the 12 acute-phase serum samples in paired samples were negative for the antibody to any Bac-G proteins, all of the convalescent-phase serum samples in those paired samples were positive for the antibody to only one of the four Bac-G proteins of the infecting genotype of hMPV. Since the antibody response to hMPV G protein was transient and genetic subgroup-specific without cross-reactivity, four genetic subgroups on the basis of hMPV G protein could be identified as different serotypes. This assay may be useful for the study of immune responses of humans to different hMPV strains, especially for clarifying the risk of reinfection with hMPV.
Endo
Rika
R
Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Ebihara
Takashi
T
Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Ishiguro
Nobuhisa
N
Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Teramoto
Shinobu
S
Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Ariga
Tadashi
T
Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Sakata
Chikako
C
Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.
Hayashi
Akio
A
Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.
Ishiko
Hiroaki
H
Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.
Kikuta
Hideaki
H
Pediatric Clinic, Touei Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D009036:Moths; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C116204:attachment protein G