Analysis of relationships between polymorphisms in the genes encoding the pentameric complex and neutralization of clinical cytomegalovirus isolates.

Highlights • We aimed to clarify the factors that may affect neutralization of CMV infection. • An epithelial cell-based CMV reporter cell line was useful for neutralization assay. • Anti-Pentamer sera can strongly neutralize clinical CMV isolates at similar levels. • Polymorphic alterations in Pentamer are located outside the neutralization epitopes. • Our findings support the notion of Pentamer as a promising vaccine antigen. Abstract Introduction As congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the major causes of birth defects and developmental abnormalities, it is essential to develop vaccines and therapeutic antibodies against CMV. Clinical trials demonstrated that the subunit vaccine based on glycoprotein B, which had been believed to be the major target for neutralization, did not induce sufficient protective immunity. On the other hand, it has been reported that the immunization of animals with the Pentamer, the pentameric complex of gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131A, induced strong neutralizing antibodies. Here, we sought to clarify whether any polymorphic alterations present in the Pentamer of clinical isolates affect neutralization by anti-Pentamer antibodies. Methods Sequences of the genes encoding the Pentamer components of 25 Japanese clinical isolates were determined. Neutralization of infection by two seropositive sera and by anti-Pentamer serum was measured using a CMV reporter cell line based on ARPE-19. Results Polymorphisms of the amino acid sequence of UL128, UL130, and UL131A ORFs were limited and clustered into two major groups. The identified alterations, except UL128 I140T, were mapped outside of the reported regions recognized by neutralizing antibodies. Anti-Pentamer serum neutralized infection with all isolates to a similar degree and had no correlation with the polymorphic groups. Conclusions Our findings indicate that Pentamer antigens prepared from Merlin Fix strain induce antibodies that neutralize infection with all isolates to a similar level and that anti-Pentamer antibodies neutralize CMV infection better than do human sera, suggesting that vaccines and therapeutic antibodies based on Pentamer as an antigen have some promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]