Cloning and analysis of a recombinant antigen containing an epitope specific for human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II.

Abstract

An immunodominant HTLV-I-specific epitope in the HTLV-I envelope glycoprotein (GP) 46 has been described. To determine if the analogous region of HTLV-II contains a similarly immunogenic and specific epitope, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify HTLV-II DNA fragments encoding various portions of the putative epitope. The synthesized DNAs were cloned into lambda-phage gt11 and screened for production of immunoreactive fusion protein using sera from HTLV-II- or HTLV-I-infected individuals. Antisera from HTLV-II-infected individuals identified three of four recombinant clones when tested in a plaque immunoassay. Fusion protein from one of the clones, GH2-K15, was purified and analyzed by Western blot against a panel of HTLV-I and HTLV-II antisera. Twenty-one of 22 HTLV-II-infected sera were reactive with the GH2-K15 epitope. Sera from HTLV-I-infected and HTLV-I-uninfected individuals did not cross-react with GH2-K15. Western blot analysis of recombinant proteins encoding portions of the HTLV-II sequences in the Gh2-K15 antigen localized the HTLV-II-specific epitope to a 17-amino acid sequence. Recombinant antigens containing this epitope should be useful for type-specific serologic diagnosis of HTLV-II infection.

• Authors: K G Hadlock, J J Lipka, T P Chow, S K Foung, G R Reyes
• Journal: Blood (Blood) Vol. 79 Issue 10 Pg. 2789-96 (May 15 1992) ISSN: 0006-4971 [Print] United States
• PMID: 1375112 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Viral
• DNA, Viral
• Epitopes
• Immune Sera
• Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
• Recombinant Proteins
• Viral Envelope Proteins

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Antigens, Viral (analysis, biosynthesis, genetics)
• Base Sequence
• Blotting, Western
• Cloning, Molecular (methods)
• DNA, Viral (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
• Epitopes (genetics)
• Escherichia coli (genetics)
• Genes, Viral
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (genetics)
• Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 (genetics)
• Immune Sera
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (methods)
• Recombinant Proteins (analysis, biosynthesis)
• Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
• Viral Envelope Proteins (analysis, biosynthesis, genetics)