Neutralizing determinants of canine herpesvirus as defined by monoclonal antibodies

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Immunology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Canine herpesvirus (CHV) is a significant pathogen in dogs, causing severe diseases.
• Understanding CHV immunogenic proteins is crucial for developing effective vaccines and antiviral therapies.
• Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) are valuable tools for dissecting viral antigenicity and immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To produce and characterize MoAbs against CHV.
• To identify CHV immunogenic proteins that carry neutralizing determinants.
• To map the epitopes on these viral glycoproteins.

Main Methods:

• Production of a panel of 24 neutralizing MoAbs against CHV.
• Immunoblotting analysis to classify MoAbs based on reactivity to viral proteins.
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) additivity tests for epitope mapping.

Main Results:

• MoAbs were classified into three groups targeting 145/112 kDa, 80 kDa, and 41 kDa glycoproteins (gps).
• Neutralizing activities of MoAbs varied in their requirement for complement, indicating different immune response mechanisms.
• Epitope mapping revealed multiple overlapping epitopes on gp 145/112 (at least 5) and gp 80 (at least 7), and 4 epitopes on gp 41.

Conclusions:

• CHV glycoproteins gp 145/112 and gp 80 elicit complement-requiring or -enhanced neutralizing antibodies.
• CHV glycoprotein gp 41 elicits complement-independent neutralizing antibodies.
• Detailed epitope mapping provides a foundation for rational vaccine design against CHV.