Epitope-mapping of the glycoprotein from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus using a microarray approach

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 Jul 9;12(7):e0006598. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006598. eCollection 2018 Jul.

Abstract

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) causes severe acute human disease with lethal outcome. The knowledge about the immune response for this human health threat is highly limited. In this study, we have screened the glycoprotein of CCHFV for novel linear B-cell epitopic regions using a microarray approach. The peptide library consisted of 168 synthesized 20mer peptides with 10 amino acid overlap covering the entire glycoprotein. Using both pooled and individual human sera from survivors of CCHF disease in Turkey five peptide epitopes situated in the mucin-like region and GP 38 (G15-515) and GN G516-1037 region of the glycoprotein were identified as epitopes for a CCHF immune response. An epitope walk of the five peptides revealed a peptide sequence located in the GN region with high specificity and sensitivity. This peptide sequence, and a sequence downstream, reacted also against sera from survivors of CCHF disease in South Africa. The cross reactivity of these peptides with samples from a geographically distinct region where genetically diverse strains of the virus circulate, enabled the identification of unique peptide epitopes from the CCHF glycoprotein that could have application in development of diagnostic tools. In this study clinical samples from geographically distinct regions were used to identify conserved linear epitopic regions of the glycoprotein of CCHF.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Epitope Mapping
  • Glycoproteins / chemistry
  • Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Glycoproteins / immunology*
  • Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / chemistry*
  • Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / genetics
  • Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / immunology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / virology*
  • Humans
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Peptide Library
  • South Africa
  • Turkey
  • Viral Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Glycoproteins
  • Peptide Library
  • Viral Proteins

Grants and funding

The work was funded by the EU-IMI 2 Joint Undertaking project EbolaMoDRAD, Grant 115843. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no 732732. The work was also part of the CCH fever network (Collaborative Project), supported by the European Commission under the Health Cooperation Work Program of the 7th Framework Program grant agreement no. 260427 and National Research Foundation Sweden (STINT) / South Africa Collaboration Programme. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.