SEROTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF OUTER CAPSID SPIKE PROTEIN VP4 OF VERVET MONKEY ROTAVIRUS SA11 STRAIN

The vervet monkey rotavirus SA11, a prototype strain of group A rotavi ruses, has been shown to possess VP7 serotype 3 specificity but its ne utralization specificity with regard to the other outer capsid protein VP4 has not been elucidated. We thus determined its VP4 specificity b y two-way cross-neutralization with guinea pig antiserum prepared with a single gene substitution reassortant that had only the VP4-encoding gene from the simian rotavirus SA11 strain and remaining ten genes fr om human rotavirus DS-1 strain (G serotype 2). The SA11 VP4 was relate d antigenically in a one-way fashion to rhesus monkey rotavirus MMU180 06 VP4 (a P5B strain) and marginally to human and canine rotavirus VP4 s with P serotype 5A specificity. In addition, the SA11 VP4 was shown to be distinct antigenically from those of other known P serotypes (1- 4, and 6-11) as well as those of uncharacterized equine, lapine, and a vian rotavirus strains. The SA11 VP4 is thus proposed for classificati on as a P5B serotype.