Monoclonal antibodies providing topological information on the duck hepatitis B virus core protein and avihepadnaviral nucleocapsid structure

J Virol. 2007 Dec;81(23):13230-4. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00847-07. Epub 2007 Sep 19.

Abstract

The icosahedral capsid of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) is formed by a single core protein species (DHBc). DHBc is much larger than HBc from human HBV, and no high-resolution structure is available. In an accompanying study (M. Nassal, I. Leifer, I. Wingert, K. Dallmeier, S. Prinz, and J. Vorreiter, J. Virol. 81:13218-13229, 2007), we used extensive mutagenesis to derive a structural model for DHBc. For independent validation, we here mapped the epitopes of seven anti-DHBc monoclonal antibodies. Using numerous recombinant DHBc proteins and authentic nucleocapsids from different avihepadnaviruses as test antigens, plus a panel of complementary assays, particle-specific and exposed plus buried linear epitopes were revealed. These data fully support key features of the model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / metabolism
  • Antibodies, Viral / metabolism
  • Avihepadnavirus / chemistry*
  • Avihepadnavirus / immunology
  • Epitope Mapping
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Hepatitis B Virus, Duck / chemistry*
  • Hepatitis B Virus, Duck / immunology
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nucleocapsid / chemistry*
  • Nucleocapsid / immunology
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Viral Core Proteins / chemistry*
  • Viral Core Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Epitopes
  • Viral Core Proteins