Prediction and characterization of novel epitopes of serotype A foot-and-mouth disease viruses circulating in East Africa using site-directed mutagenesis.

ABSTRACT: Epitopes on the surface of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid have been identified by monoclonal antibody (mAb) escape mutant studies leading to the designation of four antigenic sites in serotype A FMDV. Previous work focused on viruses isolated mainly from Asia, Europe and Latin America. In this study we report on the prediction of epitopes in African serotype A FMDVs and testing of selected epitopes using reverse genetics. Twenty-four capsid amino acid residues were predicted to be of antigenic significance by analysing the capsid sequences (n = 56) using in silico methods, and six residues by correlating capsid sequence with serum-virus neutralization data. The predicted residues were distributed on the surface-exposed capsid regions, VP1-VP3. The significance of residue ch

SUBMITTER: Bari FD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4631058 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature