title: Location of antigenic sites recognized by monoclonal antibodies in the influenza A virus nucleoprotein molecule.
abstract: The locations of amino acid positions relevant to antigenic variation in the nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza virus are not conclusively known. We analysed the antigenic structure of influenza A virus NP by introducing site-specific mutations at amino acid positions presumed to be relevant for the differentiation of strain differences by anti-NP monoclonal antibodies. Mutant proteins were expressed in a prokaryotic system and analysed by performing ELISA with monoclonal antibodies. Four amino acid residues were found to determine four different antibody-binding sites. When mapped in a 3D X-ray model of NP, the four antigenically relevant amino acid positions were found to be located in separate physical sites of the NP molecule.
authors.affiliation: D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Gamaleya Str. 16, 123098 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Natalia L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Varich
authors.affiliation: D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Gamaleya Str. 16, 123098 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Konstantin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kochergin-Nikitsky
authors.affiliation: D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Gamaleya Str. 16, 123098 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Evgeny V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Usachev
authors.affiliation: D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Gamaleya Str. 16, 123098 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Olga V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Usacheva
authors.affiliation: D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Gamaleya Str. 16, 123098 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexei G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Prilipov
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.|Division of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 3678, USA.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: D. I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Gamaleya Str. 16, 123098 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Nikolai V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Kaverin
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; C048842:NP protein, Influenza A virus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins