A mouse monoclonal antibody against dengue virus type 1 Mochizuki strain targeting envelope protein domain II and displaying strongly neutralizing but not enhancing activity

J Virol. 2013 Dec;87(23):12828-37. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01874-13. Epub 2013 Sep 18.

Abstract

Dengue fever and its more severe form, dengue hemorrhagic fever, are major global concerns. Infection-enhancing antibodies are major factors hypothetically contributing to increased disease severity. In this study, we generated 26 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the dengue virus type 1 Mochizuki strain. We selected this strain because a relatively large number of unique and rare amino acids were found on its envelope protein. Although most MAbs showing neutralizing activities exhibited enhancing activities at subneutralizing doses, one MAb (D1-IV-7F4 [7F4]) displayed neutralizing activities without showing enhancing activities at lower concentrations. In contrast, another MAb (D1-V-3H12 [3H12]) exhibited only enhancing activities, which were suppressed by pretreatment of cells with anti-FcγRIIa. Although antibody engineering revealed that antibody subclass significantly affected 7F4 (IgG3) and 3H12 (IgG1) activities, neutralizing/enhancing activities were also dependent on the epitope targeted by the antibody. 7F4 recognized an epitope on the envelope protein containing E118 (domain II) and had a neutralizing activity 10- to 1,000-fold stronger than the neutralizing activity of previously reported human or humanized neutralizing MAbs targeting domain I and/or domain II. An epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) indicated that a dengue virus-immune population possessed antibodies sharing an epitope with 7F4. Our results demonstrating induction of these antibody species (7F4 and 3H12) in Mochizuki-immunized mice may have implications for dengue vaccine strategies designed to minimize induction of enhancing antibodies in vaccinated humans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Blocking / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Dengue / immunology*
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / genetics
  • Dengue Virus / immunology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Epitopes / genetics
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Blocking
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Epitopes
  • Viral Envelope Proteins