Bertoni G, Zahno M L, Zanoni R, Vogt H R, Peterhans E, Ruff G, Cheevers W P, Sonigo P, Pancino G
Institute of Veterinary Virology, University of Berne, Switzerland.
J Virol. 1994 Nov;68(11):7139-47. doi: 10.1128/JVI.68.11.7139-7147.1994.
High titers of antibodies to caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) envelope (Env) glycoproteins are found in infected goats developing a progressive arthritis. In order to identify linear B epitopes of the CAEV Env, which may be involved in the immunopathology of arthritis, we constructed a lambda gt11 Env expression library. By combining library screening with sera from naturally infected Swiss goats with an enzyme immunoassay with overlapping peptides (pepscan), four group-specific epitopes could be precisely defined in the transmembrane envelope proteins: TM1 to TM4, including a conserved structure (TM3) that corresponds to the immunodominant epitope of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and other lentiviruses. A panel of 190 CAEV naturally infected goat serum samples, obtained from animals with defined clinical status, was tested for reactivity to synthetic peptides corresponding to the TM epitopes in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody reactivity to two epitopes was highly associated (TM3, P = 0.002, and TM4, P < 0.001) with the presence of clinically detectable arthritis. Such an association is absent for anti-Gag antibody. Antibodies to the immunodominant structures of the TM glycoprotein could thus have an important role in the immunopathogenic process leading to disease.
在患渐进性关节炎的受感染山羊体内发现了高滴度的抗山羊关节炎-脑炎病毒（CAEV）包膜（Env）糖蛋白抗体。为了鉴定可能与关节炎免疫病理学有关的CAEV Env线性B表位，我们构建了一个λgt11 Env表达文库。通过将文库筛选与来自自然感染的瑞士山羊的血清相结合，并采用重叠肽酶免疫测定法（肽扫描），可以在跨膜包膜蛋白TM1至TM4中精确界定四个组特异性表位，其中包括一个与人类免疫缺陷病毒1型及其他慢病毒的免疫显性表位相对应的保守结构（TM3）。在酶联免疫吸附测定中，对一组从具有明确临床状态的动物身上获取的190份CAEV自然感染山羊血清样本进行检测，以确定其对与TM表位相对应的合成肽的反应性。对两个表位的抗体反应性与临床上可检测到的关节炎的存在高度相关（TM3，P = 0.002；TM4，P < 0.001）。抗Gag抗体则不存在这种相关性。因此，针对TM糖蛋白免疫显性结构的抗体可能在导致疾病的免疫致病过程中发挥重要作用。
