Monoclonal antibodies to the West Nile virus NS5 protein map to linear and conformational epitopes in the methyltransferase and polymerase domains

J Gen Virol. 2009 Dec;90(Pt 12):2912-2922. doi: 10.1099/vir.0.013805-0. Epub 2009 Aug 26.

Abstract

The West Nile virus (WNV) NS5 protein contains a methyltransferase (MTase) domain involved in RNA capping and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain essential for virus replication. Crystal structures of individual WNV MTase and RdRp domains have been solved; however, the structure of full-length NS5 has not been determined. To gain more insight into the structure of NS5 and interactions between the MTase and RdRp domains, we generated a panel of seven monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the NS5 protein of WNV (Kunjin strain) and mapped their binding sites using a series of truncated NS5 proteins and synthetic peptides. Binding sites of four mAbs (5D4, 4B6, 5C11 and 6A10) were mapped to residues 354-389 in the fingers subdomain of the RdRp. This is consistent with the ability of these mAbs to inhibit RdRp activity in vitro and suggests that this region represents a potential target for RdRp inhibitors. Using a series of synthetic peptides, we also identified a linear epitope (bound by mAb 5H1) that mapped to a 13 aa stretch surrounding residues 47 and 49 in the MTase domain, a region predicted to interact with the palm subdomain of the RdRp. The failure of one mAb (7G6) to bind both N- and C-terminally truncated NS5 recombinants indicates that the antibody recognizes a conformational epitope that requires the presence of residues in both the MTase and RdRp domains. These data support a structural model of the full-length NS5 molecule that predicts a physical interaction between the MTase and the RdRp domains.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology*
  • Binding Sites
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Epitope Mapping*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Methyltransferases* / chemistry
  • Methyltransferases* / genetics
  • Methyltransferases* / immunology
  • Methyltransferases* / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutation
  • Protein Conformation
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase* / chemistry
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase* / genetics
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase* / immunology
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase* / metabolism
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / chemical synthesis
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / immunology*
  • West Nile virus* / enzymology
  • West Nile virus* / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • NS5 protein, flavivirus
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • Methyltransferases
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase