ARS | Publication request: SURFACE ENVELOPE GLYCOPROTEIN IS B-LYMPHOCYTE IMMUNODOMINANT IN SHEEP NATURALLY INFECTED WITH OVINE PROGRESSIVE PNEUMONIA VIRUS

Submitted to: Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 18, 2005
Publication Date: June 1, 2005
Citation: Herrmann, L.M., Mcguire, T.C., Hotzel, I., Lewis, G.S., Knowles Jr, D.P. 2005. Surface envelope glycoprotein is b-lymphocyte immunodominant in sheep naturally infected with ovine progressive pneumonia virus. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology. 12(6):797-800.

Interpretive Summary: Mature sheep naturally infected with ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV) produce antibodies to the different proteins composing the virus. However, the quantity of antibody to each viral protein remains unknown. Therefore, by using immunoprecipitation, a standard method of detecting anti-OPPV antibodies, we determined that serum from 8/10 naturally OPPV-infected sheep contained the highest antibody IP titers to the surface envelope glycoprotein (SU). And serum from 2/10 naturally OPPV-infected sheep contained the highest antibody IP titers to SU and the transmembrane glycoprotein oligomer (TM90). These data indicate that SU is "immunodominant" in most mature sheep persistently infected with OPPV, SU-specific diagnostic serological assays can be used for OPPV diagnosis.

Technical Abstract: The B-lymphocyte immunodominant antigen involved in naturally OPPV-infected mature sheep remains unknown. Therefore, the amount of antibody in sera from ten naturally OPPV-infected sheep was evaluated by immunoprecipitation (IP) of the major viral proteins in [35S]methionine/cysteine-labeled OPPV (whole virus) lysate. Using an excess of OPPV proteins in whole virus lysate, 8 out of 10 sheep had the highest serum antibody IP endpoint titers to the gp135 surface envelope glycoprotein (SU). And, 2 out of 10 sheep had equivalent serum antibody IP endpoint titers to the transmembrane glycoprotein oligomer (TM90) and SU. Since these data indicate that SU is the immunodominant protein in most mature sheep persistently infected with OPPV, SU-specific diagnostic serological assays can be utilized for OPPV diagnosis.