Localization of neutralization epitopes on adenovirus fiber knob from species C

J Gen Virol. 2016 Apr;97(4):955-962. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.000410. Epub 2016 Jan 22.

Abstract

Although potential neutralization epitopes on the fiber knob of adenovirus (AdV) serotype 2 (Ad2) and Ad5 have been revealed, few studies have been carried out to identify neutralization epitopes on the knob from a broader panel of AdV serotypes. In this study, based on sequence and structural analysis of knobs from Ad1, Ad2, Ad5 and Ad6 (all from species C), several trimeric chimeric knob proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli to identify the locations of neutralization epitopes on the knobs by analysing their reactivity with mouse and rabbit polyclonal sera raised against AdVs and human sera with natural AdV infection. The dominant neutralization epitopes were located mainly in the N-terminal part of knobs from Ad1, Ad2 and Ad5, but they seemed to be located in the C-terminal part of the Ad6 knob, with some individual differences in rabbit and human populations. Our study adds to our understanding of humoral immune responses to AdVs and will facilitate the construction of more desirable capsid-modified recombinant Ad5 vectors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / chemistry*
  • Adenoviridae / classification
  • Adenoviridae / genetics
  • Adenoviridae / immunology*
  • Adenoviridae Infections / virology
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Epitope Mapping
  • Epitopes / chemistry*
  • Epitopes / genetics
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Gene Expression
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / immunology
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immune Sera / chemistry
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neutralization Tests
  • Plasmids / chemistry
  • Plasmids / metabolism
  • Rabbits
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Serogroup

Substances

  • Epitopes
  • Immune Sera
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins