Identification of B-cell epitopes on the betanodavirus capsid protein

J Fish Dis. 2007 Jul;30(7):419-26. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2761.2007.00824.x.

Abstract

The pepscan procedure was used to identify betanodavirus B-cell epitopes recognized by neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and serum samples obtained from sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, naturally infected with betanodavirus. Pepscan was performed with a panel of thirty-four 12-mer synthetic peptides that mimicked the entire betanodavirus capsid protein. Sea bass serum samples reacted strongly with three regions of the capsid protein comprising amino acid residues 1-32, 91-162 and 181-212. The latter region was also recognized by neutralizing MAbs and coincided with a region of high antigenic propensity identified by an antigen prediction algorithm. These data suggest that a region of the betanodavirus capsid protein spanning amino acid residues 181-212 may represent a neutralization domain that could potentially be used to inform the development of nodavirus vaccines and immunodiagnostic reagents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Bass / blood
  • Bass / virology
  • Capsid Proteins / chemistry
  • Capsid Proteins / immunology*
  • Epitope Mapping
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / chemistry
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Nodaviridae / chemistry
  • Nodaviridae / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Capsid Proteins
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte