14th ICID - Poster Abstracts - International Society for Infectious ...

When citing these abstracts please use the following reference:
Author(s) of abstract. Title of abstract [abstract]. Int J Infect Dis 2010;14S1: Abstract number.
Please note that the official publication of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010, Volume 14, Supplement 1
is available electronically on http://www.sciencedirect.com
Final Abstract Number: 84.011
Session: Virology and Viral Infections (Non-HIV)
Date: Friday, March 12, 2010
Time: 12:30-13:30
Room: Poster & Exhibition Area/Ground Level
Type: Poster Presentation
Detection of Sudan ebolavirus (strain Gulu) epitopes that are targets of the humoral immune
response in survivors
A. sobarzo 1 , A. Groseth 2 , O. Dolnik 2 , S. Becker 2 , J. J. Lutwama 3 , V. Yavelsky 1 , R. S. Marks 4 , L.
Lobel 1
1 Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel, 2 Institute of Virology, Philipps-
University Marburg, Marburg, Germany, 3 Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda, 4
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-sheva, Israel
Background: Epidemics and pandemics have had a great impact on the course of human
history. As such emergence and re-emergence of diseases of high risk to the individual, and/or
the community, are of specific interest and concern to public health systems, whether they be in
developed or developing countries. Ebola viruses represent prime examples of such emerging
pathogens. Ebola outbreaks are unpredictable, with high severity and fatality rates. This high
case fatality rate of Ebola virus infection and the lack of approved vaccines and therapeutics
resulted in classification of Ebola viruses as biosafety level 4 pathogens and potential
bioweapons by the WHO and the CDC. The main goal of this work is to identify epitopes within
the viral proteins of Sudan ebolavirus (strain Gulu) that are targets of the humoral immune
response in survivors. Epitope specific antibodies are important indicators of survival from this
deadly disease and can serve as templates for the development of synthetic or vectored vaccines
Methods: Using standard cloning techniques the Sudan ebolavirus (strain Gulu) genes for all
seven structural proteins were cloned and sequenced. For viral protein 24 (VP24), 30 (VP30), 40
(VP40) and NP further expression constructs were generated containing a Flag tag epitope for
detection. These proteins were expressed in 293T cell using standard techniques and
transfection efficiency was controlled by using a VP40-GFP fusion protein construct. Following
expression, viral proteins were isolated and tested by western blot analysis.
The expression of the recombinant viral protein of Ebolavirus (strain Gulu) by western blot
(WB) analysis
Results: Initial results comparing immmunoreactivity between survivor and non survivor serum
samples have revealed different recognition patterns to the individual viral proteins; VP24, VP40
and NP.
Conclusion: Identification of specific targets of the successful adaptive immune response
during Ebolavirus infection will hopefully be useful for development of next generation diagnostics
and development of synthetic or vectored vaccines.