Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Antibody mediated epitope mimicry in the pathogenesis of Zika virus related disease

E. Jane Homan, Robert W. Malone, Steven J. Darnell, Robert D Bremel
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/044834
E. Jane Homan
1ioGenetics LLC, Madison, WI.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: jane_homan@iogenetics.com
Robert W. Malone
2RWMaloneMD LLC, Scottsville, VA.
3Class of 2016, Harvard Medical School Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program, Boston, MA.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Steven J. Darnell
4DNASTAR, Inc., Madison, WI.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Robert D Bremel
1ioGenetics LLC, Madison, WI.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

The association of Guillain-Barré syndrome with Zika virus infection raises suspicion of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of Zika associated disease. Using computational analysis to identify predicted B and T cell epitopes, we assessed whether antibodies elicited by B cell epitopes in Zika virus may also target B cell epitopes in the human proteome. We detected amino acid motifs predicted to be B cell epitopes in Zika virus proteins which are also present in human proteins, including pro-neuropeptide Y (proNPY), NAV2 and other proteins with interacting neurophysiologic function. We examine the predicted MHC binding of peptides likely to provide T cell help to the potential mimic epitopes. Some potential mimic epitopes in Zika virus envelope have apparently strong T cell help, likely facilitating immunoglobulin class switch. We also identify epitope mimic commonalities with dengue serotypes 1 and 3. We hypothesize that antibodies to Zika virus epitopes may contribute to the pathogenesis of Zika-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome, microcephaly, and ocular lesions, and may be a driver of autoimmunity. The risk associated with responses to potential epitope mimics must be addressed in the development of vaccines and therapeutics for Zika virus infections.

Author Summary Using computational immunologic analysis, we examine the possibility that anti-Zika antibodies are binding to mimic epitopes on human proteins and that this autoimmunity may be a driver for some of the clinical signs associated with Zika virus infection. These include Guillain Barré Syndrome, other neurophysiologic deficits, and the Zika Fetal Syndrome, including microcephaly. We identify specific proteins and epitopes to which anti-Zika antibodies may bind. The prospect that the pathogenesis of ZIKV may involve an antibody-mediated autoimmune component must be addressed in vaccine and therapeutic development.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted March 19, 2016.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Antibody mediated epitope mimicry in the pathogenesis of Zika virus related disease
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Antibody mediated epitope mimicry in the pathogenesis of Zika virus related disease
E. Jane Homan, Robert W. Malone, Steven J. Darnell, Robert D Bremel
bioRxiv 044834; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/044834
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Antibody mediated epitope mimicry in the pathogenesis of Zika virus related disease
E. Jane Homan, Robert W. Malone, Steven J. Darnell, Robert D Bremel
bioRxiv 044834; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/044834

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Immunology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (4672)
  • Biochemistry (10334)
  • Bioengineering (7655)
  • Bioinformatics (26281)
  • Biophysics (13497)
  • Cancer Biology (10663)
  • Cell Biology (15392)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (8485)
  • Ecology (12802)
  • Epidemiology (2067)
  • Evolutionary Biology (16818)
  • Genetics (11380)
  • Genomics (15454)
  • Immunology (10592)
  • Microbiology (25159)
  • Molecular Biology (10196)
  • Neuroscience (54373)
  • Paleontology (399)
  • Pathology (1663)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2889)
  • Physiology (4332)
  • Plant Biology (9223)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1585)
  • Synthetic Biology (2553)
  • Systems Biology (6769)
  • Zoology (1459)