title: Mapping of minimal motifs of B-cell epitopes on human zona pellucida glycoprotein-3.
abstract: The human zona pellucida glycoprotein-3 (hZP3) by virtue of its critical role during fertilization has been proposed as a promising candidate antigen to develop a contraceptive vaccine. In this direction, it is imperative to map minimal motifs of the B cell epitopes (BCEs) so as to avoid ZP-specific oophoritogenic T cell epitopes (TCEs) in the ZP3-based immunogens. In this study, based on known results of mapping marmoset and bonnet monkey ZP3 (mstZP3 and bmZP3), two predictable epitopes(23-30  and  301-320) on hZP3 were first confirmed and five minimal motifs within four epitopes on hZP3 were defined using serum to recombinant hZP3a(22-176) or hZP3b(177-348) as well as a biosynthetic peptide strategy. These defined minimal motifs were QPLWLL(23-28) for hZP3(23-30), MQVTDD(103-108) for hZP3(93-110), EENW(178-181) for hZP3(172-190), as well as SNSWF(306-310) and EGP(313-315) for hZP3(301-320), respectively. Furthermore, the antigenicity of two peptides for hZP3(172-187) and hZP3(301-315) and specificity of the antibody response to these peptides were also evaluated, which produced high-titer antibodies in immunized animals that were capable of reacting to ZP on human oocytes, r-hZP3b(177-348) protein, as well as r-hZP3(172-190), r-hZP3(303-310), and r-hZP3(313-320) epitope peptides fused with truncated GST188 protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, China. xuwx@sippr.stc.sh.cn
authors.forename: Wan-Xiang
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hai-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hui-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xiao-Xi
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Chao-Neng
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Shao-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072216:Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins
chemical_list: D004527:Egg Proteins; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C000606517:ZP3 protein, human; D000072216:Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins