Monoclonal antibodies to bovine coronavirus: characteristics and topographical mapping of neutralizing epitopes on the E2 and E3 glycoproteins

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies to the Quebec isolate of bovine coronavirus were produced and characterized. Monoclonal antibodies to both the E2 and the E3 glycoproteins were found to efficiently neutralize virus in vitro. None of the monoclonal antibodies directed against the E1 glycoprotein neutralized virus infectivity. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to the E2 glycoprotein were all found to immunoprecipitate gp190, gp100, and their intracellular precursor protein gp170. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to the E3 glycoprotein immunoprecipitated gp124 and showed differential reactivity to its precursor proteins gp59 and gp118. These monoclonal antibodies also showed differential reactivity to an apparent degradation product of E3. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to E2 bound to two distinct nonoverlapping antigenic domains as defined by competitive binding assays. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to the E3 glycoprotein also bound to two distinct antigenic sites as defined by competitive binding assays plus a third site which overlapped these regions. Other results indicated that one domain on the E3 glycoprotein could be further subdivided into two epitopes. Thus four epitopes could be defined by E3-specific monoclonal antibodies.