The VP1-unique region of parvovirus B19: amino acid variability and antigenic stability

The unique region of structural protein VP1 of parvovirus B19 (erythrovirus B19) is important for eliciting neutralizing antibodies that are responsible for eliminating the virus from the peripheral blood and for inducing lifelong immunity. Neutralizing human MAbs bind a conformationally defined epitope spanning VP1 residues 30-42. The DNA sequence encoding the VP1-unique region was determined in parvovirus B19 isolated from peripheral blood and amniotic fluid of nine acutely infected pregnant women, five arthritis patients and two chronically infected children. The amino acid sequences of the VP1-unique region exhibited higher variability in comparison with other B19-specific proteins. To analyse the influence of amino acid variations on antibody binding and protein conformation, two variants of the VP1-unique region were selected and expressed in E. coli as intein-fusion proteins. The selected variants displayed a number of amino acid exchanges in the VP1-unique region and had mutations in the determined epitope and adjacent regions. After purification via affinity chromatography, the dissociation constants K-D of VP1-specific human MAbs interacting with the variant antigens and a viral prototype of the VP1-unique region were determined with a quartz crystal microbalance biosensor. A value of 5.4 x 10(-8) M was determined for the prototype isolate pJB; the affinity constants for the variant VP1-unique regions were similar. Comparable values were obtained for interaction of antibodies with non-infectious VP1/VP2 capsids produced by recombinant baculovirus and with B19 virions from amniotic fluid. It is concluded that the conformation of the epitope is unaffected by mutations or the environment of the VP1-unique region in virus capsids.