Evidence of conserved epitopes in variable region of VP8* subunit of VP4 protein of rotaviruses of P[8]-1 and P[8]-3 lineages.

Although antibody responses to the human rotavirus VP4 protein have been reported, few studies have analyzed the specificity of these responses to the VP8* subunit. This study investigated antibody responses generated against the variable region of the VP4 protein (VP8* subunit) in children infected with rotavirus genotype P[8]. Recombinant VP8* subunit (rVP8*) and truncations corresponding aa 1-102
(peptide A) and 84-180 (peptide B) of rotavirus strains P[8]-1 and P[8]-3 lineages were expressed in Escherichia coli and examined for antibody reactivity using ELISA and Western blot assays. Sera from infected children had IgG antibodies that reacted with full-length rVP8*, peptide A and B of both lineages, with stronger reactivity observed against peptide B. In addition, anti-strain Wa (P[8]-1) and anti-rVP8* (P[8]-3) rabbit polyclonal antiserum reacted against peptide B sequences of both lineages. These data indicate that the VP8* variable region of rotavirus belonging to P[8]-1 and P[8]-3 lineages have conserved epitopes recognized by antibodies elicited during natural infections.

Germinación in vitro de híbridos de Vanilla planifolia y V. pompona / In vitro germination of Vanilla planifolia and V. pompona hybrids

El cultivo de la vainilla se lleva a cabo ampliamente por medio de propagación clonal, de manera asexual por cortes de tallos y la producción de frutos se realiza por autopolinización. Esta práctica inhibe la variación genética y la emergencia de nuevos individuos por recombinación sexual. Por lo anterior, se considera necesario realizar cruzas por propagación sexual entre especies para obtener nuevos individuos con características deseables para el cultivo. En el presente trabajo se obtuvieron híbridos de dos especies de vainilla como parte de un programa de mejoramiento genético. En general, las semillas híbridas obtenidas que presentaron mayor porcentaje de germinación fueron las cruzas interespecíficas interespecíficos de V. planifolia y V. pompona (85%), seguido de la cruza inversa V. planifolia y V. pompona (57,9%). Las semillas producto de V. pompona autopolinizada obtuvieron valores muy bajos de germinación (10,8%), mientras que las obtenidas de V. planifolia autopolinizada no presentaron germinación. El medio de cultivo más eficiente en todos los tratamientos fue el Murashige & Skoog (MS) adicionado con 400 mg/L-1 de glutamina y 80 mg/L-1 de sulfato de adenina.

The cultivation of vanilla is extensive clonal asexual propagation by cuttings and fruit production by artificial self-pollination. This feature tends to inhibit the genetic variation and the emergence of new individuals by sexual recombination. Therefore, sexual propagation between species it is considered necessary to obtain new individuals with desirable characteristics for cultivation. In this paper we were able to obtain hybrids of two species of vanilla. In general, the hybrids seeds obtained whit the higher germination percentage were interspecific crosses of V. planifolia and V. pompona (85%), followed by reverse cross V. planifolia and V. pompona (57.9%). Seeds obtained of V. pompona self-pollination were very low germination (10.8%) while those obtained from V. planifolia self-pollination showed no germination in any media culture. The most efficient medium for all treatments was the Murashige & Skoog (MS) supplemented whit 400 mg/L-1glutamine and 80 mg/L-1 of adenine sulfate.

Antigenic and genomic diversity of human rotavirus VP4 in two consecutive epidemic seasons in Mexico.

In the present investigation we characterized the antigenic diversity of the VP4 and VP7 proteins in 309 and 261 human rotavirus strains isolated during two consecutive epidemic seasons, respectively, in three different regions of Mexico. G3 was found to be the prevalent VP7 serotype during the first year, being superseded by serotype G1 strains during the second season. To antigenically characterize the VP4 protein of the strains isolated, we used five neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which showed specificity for VP4 serotypes P1A, P1B, and P2 in earlier studies. Eight different patterns of reactivity with these MAbs were found, and the prevalence of three of these patterns varied from one season to the next. The P genotype of a subset of 52 samples was determined by PCR. Among the strains characterized as genotype P[4] and P[8] there were three and five different VP4 MAb reactivity patterns, respectively, indicating that the diversity of neutralization epitopes in VP4 is greater than that previously appreciated by the genomic typing methods.

Serotype specificity of the neutralizing-antibody response induced by the individual surface proteins of rotavirus in natural infections of young children.

The relative contribution of the rotavirus surface proteins, VP4 and VP7, to the induction of homotypic as well as heterotypic neutralizing antibodies (NtAbs) in natural infections was studied. The NtAb titers of paired sera from 70 infants with serologically defined primary rotavirus infections were determined with a panel of rotavirus reassortants having one surface protein from a human rotavirus (serotypes G1 to G4 for VP7 and P1A and P1B for VP4) and the other surface protein from a heterologous animal rotavirus strain. A subset of 37 children were evaluated for epitope-specific antibodies to the two proteins by an epitope-blocking assay. The infants were found to seroconvert more frequently to VP4 than to VP7 by both methods, although the titers of the seroconverters were higher to VP7 than to VP4. Both proteins induced homotypic as well as heterotypic NtAbs. G1 VP7 frequently induced a response to both G1 and G3 VP7s, while G3 VP7 and P1A VP4 induced mostly homotypic responses.

Heterogeneity of VP4 neutralization epitopes among serotype P1A human rotavirus strains.

We have used serotype-specific VP4 and VP7 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (Nt-MAbs), as well as subgroup (SG)-specific MAbs, to characterize by enzyme immunoassay rotavirus strains isolated from diarrheic infants in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, from July 1993 to March 1994. Of a total of 465 children studied, 140 were rotavirus positive, including 3 patients infected with non-group A rotaviruses. The SG and VP7 (G) serotype specificities could be determined for 118 (84%) of the 140 rotavirus-positive stool specimens; 4 rotavirus strains were serotype G1 and SGII; 1 strain was serotype G2 and SGI+II; 112 strains were serotype G3 and SGII; 1 strain was serotype G3 and SGI; and none of the strains was serotype G4. Fifty-eight specimens, representing the 13 different group A rotavirus electropherotypes detected, were chosen for VP4 (P) serotyping. Of these, 48 (83%) strains reacted with the P1A serotype-specific Nt-MAb 1A10. None of the strains reacted with the serotype P2-specific Nt-MAbs tested. Not all viruses that reacted with Nt-MAb 1A10 were recognized by Nt-MAbs 2A3 and 2G1, which also recognize P1A strains, indicating heterogeneity of neutralization epitopes among serotype P1A human rotaviruses. This heterogeneity could be relevant for the specificity of the VP4-mediated neutralizing antibody immune response and indicates the need for antigenic characterization, in addition to genomic typing, of the VP4 proteins of circulating human rotavirus field strains.