Bacteriophage Qβ virus-like particles displaying Chikungunya virus B-cell epitopes elicit high-titer E2 protein antibodies but fail to neutralize a Thailand strain of Chikungunya virus

The human zona pellucida glycoprotein-3 (hZP3) by virtue of its critical role during fertilization has been proposed as a promising candidate antigen to develop a contraceptive vaccine. In this direction, it is imperative to map minimal motifs of the B cell epitopes (BCEs) so as to avoid ZP-specific oophoritogenic T cell epitopes (TCEs) in the ZP3-based immunogens. In this study, based on known results of mapping marmoset and bonnet monkey ZP3 (mstZP3 and bmZP3), two predictableepitopes23–30 and 301–320on hZP3 were first confirmed and five minimal motifs within four epitopes on hZP3 were defined using serum to recombinanthZP3a22–176orhZP3b177–348as well as a biosynthetic peptide strategy. These defined minimal motifs wereQPLWLL23–28forhZP323–30,MQVTDD103–108forhZP393–110,EENW178–181forhZP3172–190, as well asSNSWF306–310andEGP313–315forhZP3301–320, respectively. Furthermore, the antigenicity of two peptides forhZP3172–187andhZP3301–315and specificity of the antibody response to these peptides were also evaluated, which produced high-titer antibodies in immunized animals that were capable of reacting to ZP on human oocytes,r-hZP3b177–348protein, as well asr-hZP3172–190,r-hZP3303–310, andr-hZP3313–320epitope peptides fused with truncated GST188 protein.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Characterization of the B cell epitopes associated with a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE38) used to make immunotoxins for the treatment of cancer patients.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1113121.569111 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Arthur Frankel

Keyword(s):

B Cell ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Truncated Form ◽

Pseudomonas Exotoxin ◽

B Cell Epitopes

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Linear B-Cell Epitopes in Human Norovirus GII.4 Capsid Protein Elicit Blockade Antibodies

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9010052 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 52

Author(s):

Hassan Moeini ◽

Suliman Qadir Afridi ◽

Sainitin Donakonda ◽

Percy A. Knolle ◽

Ulrike Protzer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cell ◽

Capsid Protein ◽

Immune Escape ◽

Solvent Accessibility ◽

Effective Vaccine ◽

Blood Group Antigens ◽

Human Norovirus ◽

B Cell Epitopes ◽

Blocking Rate ◽

Linear B

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the leading cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide with the GII.4 genotype accounting for over 80% of infections. The major capsid protein of GII.4 variants is evolving rapidly, resulting in new epidemic variants with altered antigenic potentials that must be considered for the development of an effective vaccine. In this study, we identify and characterize linear blockade B-cell epitopes in HuNoV GII.4. Five unique linear B-cell epitopes, namely P2A, P2B, P2C, P2D, and P2E, were predicted on the surface-exposed regions of the capsid protein. Evolving of the surface-exposed epitopes over time was found to correlate with the emergence of new GII.4 outbreak variants. Molecular dynamic simulation (MD) analysis and molecular docking revealed that amino acid substitutions in the putative epitopes P2B, P2C, and P2D could be associated with immune escape and the appearance of new GII.4 variants by affecting solvent accessibility and flexibility of the antigenic sites and histo-blood group antigens (HBAG) binding. Testing the synthetic peptides in wild-type mice, epitopes P2B (336–355), P2C (367–384), and P2D (390–400) were recognized as GII.4-specific linear blockade epitopes with the blocking rate of 68, 55 and 28%, respectively. Blocking rate was found to increase to 80% using the pooled serum of epitopes P2B and P2C. These data provide a strategy for expanding the broad blockade potential of vaccines for prevention of NoV infection.

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Comparison of Monoclonal Gammopathies Linked to Poliovirus or Coxsackievirus vs. Other Infectious Pathogens

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10020438 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 438

Author(s):

Jean Harb ◽

Nicolas Mennesson ◽

Cassandra Lepetit ◽

Maeva Fourny ◽

Margaux Louvois ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

B Cell ◽

Monoclonal Gammopathy ◽

Coat Proteins ◽

Chronic Stimulation ◽

B Cell Epitopes ◽

Monoclonal Immunoglobulins ◽

Self Antigen ◽

Coxsackievirus B1 ◽

Undetermined Significance

Chronic stimulation by infectious pathogens or self-antigen glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph) can lead to monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM). Novel assays such as the multiplex infectious antigen microarray (MIAA) and GlcSph assays, permit identification of targets for >60% purified monoclonal immunoglobulins (Igs). Searching for additional targets, we selected 28 purified monoclonal Igs whose antigen was not represented on the MIAA and GlcSph assays; their specificity of recognition was then analyzed using microarrays consisting of 3760 B-cell epitopes from 196 pathogens. The peptide sequences PALTAVETG and PALTAAETG of the VP1 coat proteins of human poliovirus 1/3 and coxsackievirus B1/B3, respectively, were specifically recognized by 6/28 monoclonal Igs. Re-analysis of patient cohorts showed that purified monoclonal Igs from 10/155 MGUS/SM (6.5%) and 3/147 MM (2.0%) bound to the PALTAVETG or PALTAAETG epitopes. Altogether, PALTAV/AETG-initiated MGUS are not rare and few seem to evolve toward myeloma.

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