Locations of herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein B epitopes recognized by human serum immunoglobulin G antibodies

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) glycoprotein B (gB-2) gene segments were expressed as recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. gB-2 recombinant proteins were reacted with human serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in Western immunoblot assays. Initially, samples were tested for the presence of HSV-1specific antibodies and HSV-2-specific antibodies by using HSV-infected cell lysates as antigen targets in Western blot assays. Serum samples that contained HSV-2-specific IgG (n ‫؍‬ 58), HSV-1-specific IgG (n ‫؍‬ 33), or no detectable HSV antibodies (n ‫؍‬ 31) were tested for reactivities with the gB-2 recombinant proteins. In 58 of 58 samples that contained HSV-2-specific IgG, antibodies were present that reacted strongly with a gB-2 amino-proximal segment between amino acids (aa) 18 and 75. Three of 33 serum samples that contained HSV-1-and not HSV-2-specific IgG (as defined by the HSV lysate Western blot assay) reacted with this segment. Both HSV-2 antibodies and HSV-1 antibodies reacted strongly with a carboxy-terminal gB-2 segment between aa 819 and 904; a second minor cross-reactive region was mapped to a gB-2 segment between aa 564 and 626. The gB-2 segment from aa 18 to 75 may constitute a useful reagent for the virus type-specific serodiagnosis of HSV-2 infections. Further studies will be required to determine the relative sensitivities and specificities of the assay for gB-2 aa 18 to 75, HSV gG assays, and HSV lysate Western blot assays for detecting virus type-specific antibody responses in acute and chronic HSV-2 infections.

Cell-to-Cell Spread Blocking Activity Is Extremely Limited in the Sera of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1)- and HSV-2-Infected Subjects

“…Many anti-HSV vaccine attempts, trials, and projects, with the aim of eliciting neutralizing serum antibodies, such as those using whole virions or full-length viral immunogenic proteins, have been carried out in recent decades without much success in conferring long-lasting reduction of both clinical HSV recurrences and virus shedding rates (5)(6)(7). In this regard, several research groups have improved our knowledge of neutralizing epitopes present in HSV gD and gB (27)(28)(29)(30). Moreover, it is also known that the presence of only neutralizing antibodies is not enough to confer protection from virus reactivations, it being a sufficient condition only for protection from de novo infection (1,3).…”

Mapping of linear antigenic determinants on glycoprotein C of herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 recognized by human serum immunoglobulin G antibodies

“…In conclusion, the use of type-common and typespecific HSV peptides as antigens for the serodiagnosis of HSV-infections might be an interesting alternative to whole-cell lysates or purified virions commonly employed as antigens in ELISA, as well as to type-specific viral antigens, e.g., purified or recombinant glycoprotein G of HSV-1 and HSV-2, and type-specifically reactive segments of glycoprotein B of HSV [Ashley et al, 1988;Goade et al, 1996].…”

Cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B-specific antibody analysis using electrochemiluminescence detection-based techniques

“…Low levels of AD-1 reactivity could also be found in samples otherwise considered to be CMV seronegative. This may result from cross-reactivity with antibodies specific for gB of other herpesviruses, as significant homology exists at the protein level in the epitope expressed by our recombinant protein and regions considered to be immunoreactive in gB proteins of other herpesviruses (2,4,5). Such Four antibodies against CMV pp65 (15) were also negative in this assay (data not shown).…”