The nucleotide sequence of the hemagglutinin gene of the LA strain of rinderpest virus, a seed virus strain used for vaccine production in Japan

Genetic characterization of the Korean LATC06 rinderpest vaccine strain

We sequenced the genome of LATC06 generated by in vitro passage in Vero cells of the lapinized-avianized (LA) strain and compared its sequence to those of other rinderpest viruses. The LATC06 genome consists of 15882 nucleotides. Its transcriptional regulatory control sequences (TRSs) at gene boundaries are identical to those of the Kabete O strain. Cleavage sites for generating F1/F2 proteins were identified in the same amino acid position (aa 108) as F proteins in LATC06, L13, RBT1, Kabete O, and RBOK strains. There are three predicted N-glycosylation sites of H proteins in LA (Japan) and LATC06 strains. The six epitopes of H protein in the LA (Japan) strain that elicit immunodominant humoral responses are also found in the LATC06 strain.

Identification of immunodominant neutralizing epitopes on the hemagglutinin protein of rinderpest virus

The immunodominant epitopes on the hemagglutinin protein of rinderpest virus (RPV-H) were determined by analyzing selected monoclonal antibody (MAb)-resistant mutants and estimating the level of antibody against each epitope in five RPV-infected rabbits with the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA). Six neutralizing epitopes were identified, at residues 474 (epitope A), 243 (B), 548 to 551 (D), 587 to 592 (E), 310 to 313 (G), and 383 to 387 (H), from the data on the amino acid substitutions of hemagglutinin protein of MAb-resistant mutants and the reactivities of MAbs against RPV-H to the other morbilliviruses. The epitopes identified in this study are all positioned on the loop of the propeller-like structure in a hypothetical three-dimensional model of RPV-H (J. P. M. Langedijk et al., J. Virol. 71:6155-6167, 1997). Polyclonal sera obtained from five rabbits infected experimentally with RPV were examined by c-ELISA using a biotinylated MAb against each epitope as a competitor. Although these rabbit sera hardly blocked binding of each MAb to epitopes A and B, they moderately blocked binding of each MAb to epitopes G and D and strongly blocked binding of each MAb to epitopes E and H. These results suggest that epitopes at residues 383 to 387 and 587 to 592 may be immunodominant in humoral immunity to RPV infection.