[Use of a phage peptide library in mapping the group-specific hemagglutinating domain of alpha-virus glycoprotein E2]

Phage display peptide library f88-4/15 (G. P. Smith, USA) was used for mapping the hemagglutination activity domain of glycoprotein E2 of alphaviruses. Using affinity selection and ELISA, we selected the clones binding monoclonal antibody 4H5 to Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus and inhibiting alphavirus hemagglutinating activity. Analysis of the similarity between the peptides amino acid sequences with the alphavirus glycoprotein E2 sequences revealed a structural motive of 4 amino acid residues (HTSR) which was identified in the 85-88 region. Bacteriophages F36 and F19 contained motives corresponding to 102-SXXM-105 and 109-AXXP-112 regions in alphavirus proteins E2. These data permit us to propose that the detected regions are fragments of a group-specific alphavirus hemagglutination domain.