Use of synthetic peptides to represent surface-exposed epitopes defined by neutralizing dengue complex- and flavivirus group-reactive monoclonal antibodies on the native dengue type-2 virus envelope glycoprotein

The reactions of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that defined dengue virus (DENV) complex, flavivirus subgroup or group neutralizing epitopes were tested against synthetic peptide sequences from domains I, II and III of the envelope (E) glycoproteins of different DENV-2 genotypes/strains. The DENV complex-reactive mAb identified the surface-exposed 304-GKFKV/IVKEIA-313 peptides and the DENV complex-conserved 393-KKGSSIGO/KM-401 peptides; in domain III, which were located adjacently in the native glycoprotein. Both flavivirus group-reactive mAbs reacted most strongly with fusion sequence peptides from domain II when they contained a cysteine (C) by glycine (G) substitution (underlined) (101-WGNG (G) under bar GLFG-109) to represent the native rotated C side chain. The 393-401 sequence represents a newly identified epitope, present as a highly flexible coil located between the 385 and 393 cell-binding sequence and the 401 and 413 sequence involved in the E glycoprotein homo-trimer formation. The 101-109 sequence containing 105-C by G substitution and the 393-401 sequence are good candidates for diagnostic assays and cross-protection experiments.