Three unique Sendai virus antigenic peptides screened from nucleocapsid protein by overlapping peptide array

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Sendai virus (SeV) is a critical pathogen in laboratory rodents, necessitating accurate diagnostic methods.
• Current SeV serological tests rely on whole virions, which present challenges in diagnostic accuracy due to antigen complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific linear peptides of SeV nucleocapsid protein (NP) with high antigenicity for improved diagnostic applications.
• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of identified SeV NP peptides compared to whole virion antigens.

Main Methods:

• Separation and analysis of SeV virion components using SDS-PAGE to identify immunodominant antigens.
• Development of a peptide array covering the SeV NP for screening antigenic epitopes using SeV-positive serum.
• Validation of identified antigenic peptides (NP413-428, NP473-490, NP507-524) using ELISA with rodent sera.

Main Results:

• SeV nucleocapsid protein (NP) was identified as the predominant antigen.
• Four linear antigenic peptides were identified in the carboxyl-terminus of SeV NP.
• Three peptides (NP413-428, NP473-490, NP507-524) demonstrated confirmed antigenicity.
• A mixture of these three peptides showed comparable sensitivity and superior specificity to whole SeV virions in ELISA tests.

Conclusions:

• The peptides NP413-428, NP473-490, and NP507-524 are promising linear antigens for SeV detection.
• These peptides offer a more accurate and specific alternative to whole virions for SeV serological diagnostics.