title: Mapping of conserved and species-specific antibody epitopes on the Ebola virus nucleoprotein.
abstract: Filoviruses (viruses in the genus Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus in the family Filoviridae) cause severe haemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates. Rapid, highly sensitive, and reliable filovirus-specific assays are required for diagnostics and outbreak control. Characterisation of antigenic sites in viral proteins can aid in the development of viral antigen detection assays such immunochromatography-based rapid diagnosis. We generated a panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the nucleoprotein (NP) of Ebola virus belonging to the species Zaire ebolavirus. The mAbs were divided into seven groups based on the profiles of their specificity and cross-reactivity to other species in the Ebolavirus genus. Using synthetic peptides corresponding to the Ebola virus NP sequence, the mAb binding sites were mapped to seven antigenic regions in the C-terminal half of the NP, including two highly conserved regions among all five Ebolavirus species currently known. Furthermore, we successfully produced species-specific rabbit antisera to synthetic peptides predicted to represent unique filovirus B-cell epitopes. Our data provide useful information for the development of Ebola virus antigen detection assays.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Katendi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Changula
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Noyori
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzi
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishijima
authors.forename: Ayaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kajihara
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feldmann
authors.forename: Aaron S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mweene
authors.forename: Ayato
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003429:Cross Reactions; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C084818:nucleoprotein VP35, Ebola virus
keywords: Antibody epitope; BDBV; Bundibugyo virus; EBOV; Ebola virus; GP; MARV; Marburg virus; Monoclonal antibody; NP; Nucleoprotein; RAVV; RESTV; Ravn virus; Reston virus; SUDV; Sudan virus; Synthetic peptide; TAFV; Taï Forest virus; VLP; VP; glycoprotein; mAb; monoclonal antibodies; nucleoprotein; viral protein; virus-like particle