The two major human metapneumovirus genetic lineages are highly related antigenically, and the fusion (F) protein is a major contributor to this antigenic relatedness.

ABSTRACT: The growth properties and antigenic relatedness of the CAN98-75 (CAN75) and the CAN97-83 (CAN83) human metapneumovirus (HMPV) strains, which represent the two distinct HMPV genetic lineages and exhibit 5 and 63% amino acid divergence in the fusion (F) and attachment (G) proteins, respectively, were investigated in vitro and in rodents and nonhuman primates. Both strains replicated to high titers (> or =6.0 log(10)) in the upper respiratory tract of hamsters and to moderate titers (> or =3.6 log(10)) in the lower respiratory tract. The two lineages exhibited 48% antigenic relatedness based on reciprocal cross-neutralization assay with postinfection hamster sera, and infection with each strain provided a high level of resistance to reinfection with the homologous or heterologous strain. Hams

SUBMITTER: Skiadopoulos MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC421687 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature