title: Identification and characterization of novel B-cell epitopes within EBV latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2).
abstract: The purpose of this study was to screen and identify the linear B-cell epitopes of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2). The secondary structure and surface properties of EBV LMP2A protein were analyzed. In combination with hydrophilicity, accessibility, flexibility, and antigenicity analysis, and average antigenicity index (AI) of epitope peptide investigation, three peptides were selected as potential candidates of linear B-cell epitopes. The peptides were 199-209 (RIEDPPFNSLL), 318-322 (TLNLT), and 381-391 (KSLSSTEFIPN). The fragments encoding potential B-cell epitopes were cloned and overexpressed in an E. coli system. The immune sera of these fusion proteins were collected from BALB/c mice by subcutaneously immunizing them three times. Western blotting results showed that these epitope recombinant proteins could be recognized by the serum antibodies against the whole LMP2 from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Indirect ELISA measuring individual sera from 196 NPC patients, 44 infectious mononucleosis (IM) patients, 253 healthy adults, and 61 healthy children, indicated that NPC patients had significantly higher reactivity to these epitope-fused proteins compared with IM and healthy individuals (p < 0.05). In addition, all the immune sera of peptide-fused proteins responded to native LMP2A antigen obtained from the EBV prototype strain, B95-8 cells. IFA results confirmed that specific antibodies induced by epitope peptide-fused proteins recognized intracellular regions of LMP2A. These results demonstrated that these three predictive epitopes not only were immunodominant B-cell epitopes of LMP2A, but also may be potential targets for applications in the design of diagnostic tools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Shanli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wenshu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Meixia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wenci
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002277:Carcinoma; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins