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In vitro studies have suggested an important role for the minor capsid protein (VP1) unique region and the junction between VP1 and the major capsid protein (VP2) in the neutralizing immune response to B19 parvovirus. We investigated the role of the NH2-terminal region of the major structural protein in capsid structure by expressing progressively more truncated versions of the VP2 gene followed by analysis using immunoblotting and electron microscopy of density gradient-purified particles. Deletion of the first 25 amino acids (aa) of VP2 did not affect capsid assembly. Altered VP2 with truncations to aa 26 to 30, including a single amino acid deletion at position 25, failed to self-assemble but did participate with normal VP2 in the capsid structure. The altered region corresponds to the beginning of the beta A antiparallel strand. Truncations beyond aa 30 were incompatible with either self-assembly or coassembly, probably because of deletion of the beta B strand, which helps to form the core structure of the virus.

Cytotoxicity secondary to B19 parvovirus infection is due to expression of the viral nonstructural protein. Nonstructural proteins of many parvoviruses contain a well-conserved nucleoside triphosphate (NTP)-binding motif, which has been shown to be essential for a variety of protein functions. We show here that cytotoxicity of the B19 parvovirus nonstructural protein was abolished by single mutations of amino acids within the NTP-binding domain, especially within the A motif, implicating NTP-binding in virus-induced cell death.

We performed a systematic study to identify cellular factors that bound to the terminal repeat region of B19 parvovirus. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we detected one cellular factor which prominently bound to the repeat region. The factor was purified from K562 nuclear extract by specific DNA affinity column chromatography and identified as YY1, a multifunctional transcription factor. Of multiple possible YY1 binding sites in the upstream region of the P6 promoter, three showed specific strong binding. Transcription enhancement by YY1 was demonstrated in vitro by transient transfection assays. In studies using truncated and mutated versions of this region, YY1 activity was diminished by the alteration of any two of these three sites and abolished by the alteration of all three sites. Our results suggest that YY1 is a positive regulator of B19 parvovirus transcription.

We previously reported that empty capsids of B19 parvovirus were formed by the major capsid protein (VP2) alone expressed in a baculovirus system, but the minor capsid protein (VP1), longer by 227 amino acids, alone did not form empty capsids. We report here further investigations of the constraints on capsid formation by truncated versions of VP1. Studies were performed with recombinant baculoviruses expressed in Sf9 cells. Severely shortened VP1, extended beyond the VP2 core sequence by about 70 amino acids of the unique region, formed capsids normal in appearance; longer versions of VP1 also formed capsids but did so progressively less efficiently and produced capsids of more markedly dysmorphic appearance as the VP1-unique region was lengthened.

Presentation of linear epitopes of the B19 parvovirus capsid proteins as peptides might be a useful vaccine strategy. We produced overlapping fusion proteins to span the viral capsid sequence, inoculated rabbits, and determined whether the resulting antisera contained antibodies that neutralized the ability of the virus to infect human erythroid progenitor cells. Antibodies that bound to virus in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were present in antisera raised against 10 of 11 peptides; strongest activity was found for antisera against the carboxyl-terminal half of the major capsid protein. However, strong neutralizing activity was elicited in animals immunized with peptides from the amino-terminal portion of the unique region of the minor capsid protein and peptides containing the sequence of the junction region between the minor and major capsid proteins. The development of neutralizing activity in animals was elicited most rapidly with the fusion peptide from the first quarter of the unique region. A 20-amino-acid region of the unique region of the minor capsid protein was shown to contain a neutralizing epitope. Multiple antigenic peptides, based on the sequence of the unique region and produced by covalent linkage through a polylysine backbone, elicited strong neutralizing antibody responses. Synthetic peptides and fusion proteins containing small regions of the unique portion of the minor capsid protein might be useful as immunogens in a human vaccine against B19 parvovirus.