Identification of an immunodominant epitope within the capsid protein of hepatitis C virus.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Nasoff, M S; Zebedee, S L; Inchauspé, G; Prince, A M
- Source
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; June 1991, Vol. 88 Issue: 12 p5462-5466, 5p
- Subject
- Language
- ISSN
- 00278424; 10916490
We have isolated cDNA clones from the 5' end of the Hutchinson strain of hepatitis C virus. Sequences encoding various segments of the HCV structural region were fused to the gene for glutathione S-transferase and analyzed for the expression of hepatitis C virus-capsid fusion proteins. With a set of these fusion proteins, both human and chimpanzee immune responses to capsid were studied. An immunodominant epitope was located within the amino-terminal portion of capsid that is preferentially recognized by antibodies in both human and chimpanzee hepatitis C virus-positive sera. In addition, analyses of sequential serum samples taken from humans and chimpanzees with either chronic or apparently self-limited infections revealed that a strong anti-capsid response develops rapidly after onset of infection.