Prediction and identification of immunodominant linear B cell epitopes in N9 of avian influenza virus H7N9 / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To identify immunodominant linear B cell epitopes in neuraminidase of avian influenza virus H7N9.@*Methods@#By using protean algorithms of bioinformatic software DNAStar, antigenicity, hydrophilicity and surface probability of the H7N9 neuraminidase sequence was analyzed and their corresponding average indexes were calculated. Multiple regions containing potential linear B cell epitopes were predicted. Corresponding peptides were synthesized artificially and used in peptide-ELISA individually to check their reactivity to confirmed H7N9 positive human sera, and H7N9 negative human sera was used as control.@*Results@#Seven potential linear B cell epitopes, namely A to G, were predicted according to their relatively strong antigenicity, hydrophilicity and surface probability. All corresponding synthetic peptides reacted strongly with H7N9 positive sera.@*Conclusions@#Immunodominant linear B cell epitopes in neuraminidase of H7N9 were successfully predicted and confirmed. It will facilitate to clarify molecular basis of the antigen specificity and to make respective antibodies.