Fine mapping and conservation analysis of linear B-cell epitopes of peste des petits ruminants virus hemagglutinin protein

Hemagglutinin protein (H), one of the two glycoproteins of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), binds to its receptor on the host cell and acts as a major antigen that induces and confers highly protective immunity in the host. In order to delineate the epitopes on H protein, fine epitope mapping and conservation analysis of linear B-cell epitopes (BCEs) on PPRV H has been undertaken using biosynthetic peptides and rabbit anti-PPRV H sera. Thirteen linear BCEs were identified and their corresponding minimal motifs were located on the H protein of PPRV China/Tibet/Geg/07-30. Conservation analysis indicated that two of the 13 minimal motifs were conserved among 52 PPRV strains. Nine of the 13 peptides containing the minimal motifs were recognized using anti-PPRV serum from a goat immunized with PPRV vaccine strain Nigeria 75/1. Identified epitopes and their motifs improve our understanding of the antigenic characteristics of PPRV H and provide a basis for the development of epitope-based diagnostic assays and multiple epitopes vaccine.