Murine gammaherpesvirus-68 glycoprotein B presents a difficult neutralization target to monoclonal antibodies derived from infected mice

J Gen Virol. 2006 Dec;87(Pt 12):3515-3527. doi: 10.1099/vir.0.82313-0.

Abstract

Persistent viruses disseminate from immune hosts. They must therefore resist neutralization by antibody. Murine gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV-68) represents an accessible model with which to address how resistance to neutralization is achieved and how overcoming it might improve infection control. The MHV-68 glycoprotein B (gB), like that of other herpesviruses, is a virion protein that is essential for infectivity. As such, it presents a potential neutralization target. In order to test whether virus-induced antibodies reduce virion infectivity by binding to gB, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were derived from MHV-68-infected mice. gB-specific mAbs were common, but only an IgM specific for the gB N terminus reduced virion infectivity significantly. It inhibited MHV-68 entry into BHK-21 cells at a post-binding step that was linked closely to membrane fusion. Reducing the mAb to IgM monomers compromised neutralization severely, suggesting that a pentameric structure was crucial to its function. Antibody treatment never blocked BHK-21 cell infection completely and blocked the infection of NMuMG epithelial cells hardly at all. Virions saturated with antibody also remained infectious to mice. Thus, the MHV-68 gB presents at best a very difficult target for antibody-mediated neutralization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / isolation & purification
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Antibodies, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • Cell Line
  • Cricetinae
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Herpesviridae Infections / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / isolation & purification
  • Lung / virology
  • Membrane Fusion
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Neutralization Tests
  • Rhadinovirus / immunology*
  • Rhadinovirus / physiology
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology*
  • Viral Plaque Assay
  • Virus Internalization

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antigens, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Viral Envelope Proteins
  • glycoprotein B, murine gammaherpesvirus 68