Truncated hantavirus nucleocapsid proteins for serotyping Hantaan, Seoul, and Dobrava hantavirus infections

Truncated recombinant nucleocapsid proteins (rNPs) of Hantaan virus (HTNV), Seoul virus (SEOV), and Dobrava virus (DOBV) were expressed by a baculovir us system. The truncated rNPs, which lacked 49 (rNP50) or 154 (rNP155) N-te rminal amino acids of the NPs of HTNV, SEOV, and DOBV, were able to differe ntiate HTNV-, SEOV-, and DOBV-specific immune sera. Recombinant NP50s retai ned higher reactivities than rNP155s and were proven useful for enzyme-link ed immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISAs based on the rNP50s of HTNV, SEO V, and DOBV successfully differentiated three groups of patient sera, previ ously defined by neutralization tests: 17 with HTNV infection, 12 with SEOV infection, and 20 with DOBV infection. The entire rNP of Puumala virus (PU UV) distinguished PUUV infection from the other types of hantavirus infecti on. Serotyping with these rNP50s can be recommended as a rapid and efficien t system for hantavirus diagnosis.