The epitope study on the SARS-CoV nucleocapsid protein.
- Author:
Shuting LI
1
;
Liang LIN
;
Hao WANG
;
Jianning YIN
;
Yan REN
;
Zhe ZHAO
;
Jie WEN
;
Cuiqi ZHOU
;
Xumin ZHANG
;
Xiaolei LI
;
Jingqiang WANG
;
Zhengfeng ZHOU
;
Jinxiu LIU
;
Jianmin SHAO
;
Tingting LEI
;
Jianqiu FANG
;
Ningzhi XU
;
Siqi LIU
Author Information
1. Beijing Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101300, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Blotting, Western;
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay;
Epitopes;
chemistry;
immunology;
Humans;
Nucleocapsid Proteins;
chemistry;
immunology;
Peptide Fragments;
chemical synthesis;
Plasmids;
Recombinant Proteins;
immunology;
isolation & purification;
metabolism;
SARS Virus;
genetics;
immunology;
metabolism
- From:
Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics
2003;1(3):198-206
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The nucleocapsid protein (N protein) has been found to be an antigenic protein in a number of coronaviruses. Whether the N protein in severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is antigenic remains to be elucidated. Using Western blot and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), the recombinant N proteins and the synthesized peptides derived from the N protein were screened in sera from SARS patients. All patient sera in this study displayed strong positive immunoreactivities against the recombinant N proteins, whereas normal sera gave negative immunoresponses to these proteins, indicating that the N protein of SARS-CoV is an antigenic protein. Furthermore, the epitope sites in the N protein were determined by competition experiments, in which the recombinant proteins or the synthesized peptides competed against the SARS-CoV proteins to bind to the antibodies raised in SARS sera. One epitope site located at the C-terminus was confirmed as the most antigenic region in this protein. A detailed screening of peptide with ELISA demonstrated that the amino sequence from Codons 371 to 407 was the epitope site at the C-terminus of the N protein. Understanding of the epitope sites could be very significant for developing an effective diagnostic approach to SARS.
