Mapping of B-cell epitopes in the nucleocapsid protein of Puumala hantavirus.

This region is identical in the strains CD18-20 and Vranica/Hallnas of Puumala virus, except for a D35Y mutation in the latter. The accession provided here correponds to the Nucleocapsid protein of a representative strain of Puumala virus that contains the epitope sequence. The Nucleocapsid protein from CG18-20 strain is not available in the current protein databases. N protein fragments from strains CG18-20 and Vranica/Hallnass expressed as inserts in HBV core antigen showed that the mAb A1C5 recognized both proteins in the residues 14-39 region. That region is identical in both strains except for the D35Y mutation from CDG18-20 to Vranica/Hallnas. Other mAbs generated form infected bank voles, (1C12, 3E11, 4C3, 5A3) recognize the same fragment from CG18-20 but not form Vranica-Hallnas, implying residue 35 in their specific recognition.