1. Antibody response in cats to the envelope proteins of feline immunodeficiency virus: identification of an immunodominant neutralization domain.
- Author
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de Ronde A, Stam JG, Boers P, Langedijk H, Meloen R, Hesselink W, Keldermans LC, van Vliet A, Verschoor EJ, and Horzinek MC
- Subjects
- Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Antibodies, Viral blood, Base Sequence, Cats, Gene Products, env analysis, Gene Products, env genetics, Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline chemistry, Immunodominant Epitopes analysis, Molecular Sequence Data, Neutralization Tests, Recombinant Fusion Proteins analysis, Recombinant Fusion Proteins biosynthesis, Recombinant Fusion Proteins immunology, Antibodies, Viral biosynthesis, Gene Products, env immunology, Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline immunology, Immunodominant Epitopes immunology
- Abstract
Overlapping fragments of the envelope protein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) have been expressed in Escherichia coli. Screening of cat sera for antibodies to these fragments revealed that the immunodominant domain of the FIV envelope is localized within the transmembrane protein (amino acids 687-741) and that both the variable region 3 (SU3, aa 385-417) and the COOH-terminus (aa 599-611) of the surface protein (SU) are highly immunogenic. Of all rabbit sera raised to the envelope protein fragments only the serum directed to SU3 was neutralizing. Both FIV-infected and SU3-immunized cats elicited neutralizing antibodies to SU3. Neutralizing antibodies in sera of infected cats could be absorbed by SU3, showing that SU3 is a major neutralization domain of FIV.
- Published
- 1994
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