Special Issue "Recent Findings on the Biology of Rhabdovirus"

Guest Editor
Dr. Michel Bremont
Unité de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA, CRJ, Domaine de Vilvert, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas, France
Website: http://www.jouy.inra.fr/vim/equipes_scientifiques/virologie_moleculaire_des_poissons/equipe
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• rabies
• VSV
• novirhabdovirus
• plant
• protein interactions
• structure
• innate immunity
• reverse genetics
• vaccine

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Mapping the Functional Properties in the Amino Acid Sequence of Rhabdoviral Glycoproteins: the Pepscan Approach
Authors: Veronica Chico ^1†, Maria del Mar Ortega-Villaizan ^1†, Julio Coll ² and Amparo Estepa^1*
Affiliations: ¹ IBMC, Miguel Hernandez University, 03202-Elche (Spain); E-mails: vchico@umh.es; mortega-villaizan@umh.es; aestepa@umh.es; ² INIA-SIGT–Biotechnology, 28040-Madrid (Spain); E-mails: juliocoll@inia.es; ^† Both authors contributed equally; * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: aestepa@umh.es; Tel.: +34966658436 Fax: 34-966658758.
Abstract: The trimeric glycoprotein G (gpG) is the only antigen of rhabdoviruses which confers in vivo protection and induces the production of neutralizing antibodies in their hosts during infection. gpG is also known to be responsible for the rhabdovirus cell entry (both viral cell attachment and subsequent low-pH dependent fusion process). Therefore, there is a crucial interest in the study of the mapping of the functional features of these glycoproteins. In order to study the possible mapping of functional domains or regions in the gpG, a series of 15-20-mer overlapping peptides spanning the entire length of the gpG, (pepscan approach) has been revealed as a highly useful tool. By using this methodology it has been possible to identify some of the regions of the gpG of some rahbdoviruses, involved in: i) membrane fusion, ii) host anamnestic immune responses, iii) linear epitopes binding monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), and iv) triggering the early events of host innate immune response. Most of these studies have been made by using the gpG of the viral haemorraghic saepticemia virus (VHSV). In this regard, the identification of viral linear epitopes might be of special interest for designing new adjuvants and/or more- efficient and cost-effective viral vaccines.
Keywords: pepscan; rhabdoviral glycoprotein G; immune response; membrane fusion