Identification of a novel B-cell epitope of Hantaan virus glycoprotein recognized by neutralizing 3D8 monoclonal antibody

Abstract

Hantaan virus (HTNV), a member of the familyBunyaviridae, is a major agent causing haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, a high-mortality-rate disease threatening approximately 150 000 people around the world yearly. The 3D8 mAb displays a neutralizing activity to HTNV infection. In this study, the B-cell epitopes of HTNV glycoproteins (GPs) were finely mapped by peptide scanning. A new B-cell epitope882GFLCPEFPGSFRKKC896of HTNV, which locates on Gc, has been screened out from a set of 15-mer synthesized peptides covering the full-length of HTNV-GPs. It has been shown by the alanine-scanning technique that885C,893R,894K,895K and896C are the key amino acids of the binding sites of the GPs. The implications of identifying a novel B-cell epitope for hantavirus immunology and vaccinology are discussed.