STRUCTURE SEROLOGIC RELATIONSHIPS OF THE IMMUNODOMINANT SITE OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH-DISEASE VIRUS

The extensive antigenic variation of foot-and-mouth disease virus and the localization of the dominant immunogenic site on a short loop region on the surface of the virus particle make it a valuable model for studying the structural basis of this variation. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the loop region elicit high levels of specific protective neutralizing antibody. The results of serologic studies have led to the conclusion that a major influence on the antigenicity of the loop is the presence of a Pro residue at position 153. Equally important is the sensitivity of position 148 to the presence of either Leu or Phe.