Immunochemical studies of turnip yellow mosaic virus III. Localization of two viral epitopes in residues 57–64 and 183–189 of the coat protein

Abstract

The antigenic activity of the C-terminal region of the coat protein of turnip yellow mosaic virus was investigated with two synthetic peptides corresponding to residues 183–189 and 187–189. The inhibitory activity of these peptides was measured by complement fixation, ELISA and RIA, using either antibodies directed to the depolymerized viral subunits or antibodies to the capsid. Although the activity of the peptides varied markedly in the different assays, the results clearly demonstrated that the C-terminal residues 183–189 correspond to an antigenic determinant present at the outer surface of the assembled capsid. Another synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 57–64 of the coat protein was also prepared and found by inhibition of complement fixation to correspond to an antigenic determinant of the virus. These results bring to three the number of antigenic determinants of the virus particle that have been located.