Viral Hepatitis
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2003. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 15, 2003; 9(6): 1256-1260
Published online Jun 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i6.1256
Cross-reactivity of hypervariable region 1 chimera of hepatitis C virus
Bing-Shui Xiu, Shi-Gan Ling, Xiao-Guo Song, He-Qiu Zhang, Kun Chen, Cui-Xia Zhu
Bing-Shui Xiu, Shi-Gan Ling, Xiao-Guo Song, He-Qiu Zhang, Kun Chen, Cui-Xia Zhu, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by National 10th Five-Year Plan of Science and Technology Brainstorm Project, No. 2001BA708B06 and a grant from Natural Science Foundation of Beijing, No.7002031
Correspondence to: Professor Shi-Gan Ling, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, P.R.China. lingsg@nic.bmi.ac.cn
Telephone: 010-66932308 Fax: +86-10-68285718
Received: January 4, 2003
Revised: February 4, 2003
Accepted: February 16, 2003
Published online: June 15, 2003
Abstract

AIM: To analyze the amino acid sequences of hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of HCV isolates in China and to construct a combinatorial chimeric HVR1 protein having a very broad high cross-reactivity.

METHODS: All of the published HVR1 sequences from China were collected and processed with a computer program. Several representative HVR1's sequences were formulated based on a consensus profile and homology within certain subdivision. A few reported HVR1 mimotope sequences were also included for a broader representation. All of them were cloned and expressed in E.coli. The cross-reactivity of the purified recombinant HVR1 antigens was tested by ELISA with a panel of sera from HCV infected patients in China. Some of them were further ligated together to form a combinatorial HVR1 chimera.

RESULTS: Altogether 12 HVR1s were selected and expressed in E.coli and purified to homogeneity. All of these purified antigens showed some cross-reactivity with sera in a 27 HCV positive panel. Recombinant HVR1s of No. 1, 2, 4, and 8# showing broad cross-reactivities and complementarity with each other, were selected for the ligation elements. The chimera containing these 4 HVR1s was highly expressed in E.coli. The purified chimeric antigen could react not only with all the HCV antibody positive sera in the panel but also with 90/91 sera of HCV -infected patients.

CONCLUSION: The chimeric antigen was shown to have a broad cross-reactivity. It may be helpful for solving the problem caused by high variability of HCV, and in the efforts for a novel vaccine against the virus.

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