Comparative studies of the antigenic polypeptide species VP4, VP6, and VP7 of three strains of bovine rotavirus.

Three bovine rotavirus strains belonging to two distinct serotype groups, serotype 6 (NCDV and B641) and B223, distinct from the other six mammalian rotavirus serotypes but not yet assigned to a serotype group, were compared with each other and with canine rotavirus (K9, serotype 3) by studying the properties of their cognate polypeptide species VP4, VP6, and VP7. The three viruses showed distinct differences in the polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic migration rates of protein species VP4 and VP7, with minor differences in VP6. Differences were also observed among the migration patterns of genome segments 4, 6, and the 7-8-9 triplet, which encode VP4, VP6, and VP7, respectively. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to B223, which were directed against VP4 or VP7, showed homologous specificity for neutralization and immunofluorescence (IF), although one MAb reactive with VP4 also reacted by IF and by immunoprecipitation (IP) with all four viruses and weakly neutralized B641 and K9. This MAb may react with the epitope responsible for the B223-induced one-way neutralizing and protection response of calves against B641 observed in earlier studies. MAbs reactive with VP6 by IP showed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and IF reactivity with all three bovine viruses and the canine virus. The two serotype 6 viruses could be distinguished by the two B641 MAbs, B641-N2b reacting by neutralization and IF with both viruses and B641-N1 reacting with B641 and the serotype 3 canine rotavirus but not with NCDV. One nonneutralizing B641 MAb reacted by IP and IF with VP7 of all four rotaviruses examined, and one B223 MAb neutralized B223 and, to low titer, B641 and K9 although reacting by IP and IF with all four viruses. Three MAb-resistant mutants were selected by passage of B223 in the presence of one of three selected B223 MAbs at concentrations which only neutralized approximately 90% of the infectious virions. The resulting mutants were 100% resistant to neutralization with their respective MAb but remained neutralizable by the same selection of MAbs as the parent B223 virus.