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Mapping of B cell epitopes on the zona pellucida 2 protein of a marsupial, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Immunocontraceptive vaccines against zona pellucida (ZP) proteins are being developed for brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) management in New Zealand. Mapping of B cell epitopes on the ZP2 protein of possums was undertaken in this study to define the antigenic regions that may be crucial to sperm–egg binding. The amino acid sequence of the full‐length possum ZP2 protein (712 amino acids) was used to synthesize a complete set of 71 (15‐mer) biotinylated peptides with an offset of five amino acids. The peptides were used in a modified enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify continuous epitopes recognized by antibodies in the sera of possums immunized with recombinant possum ZP2 (rZP2) constructs. Seventeen continuous epitopes were located on possum ZP2 protein. Comparisons of the peptide binding pattern of antibodies in individual sera with the fertility status of the same immunized possums revealed three significant infertility‐relevant peptide epitopes (amino acids 111–125, 301–315, and 431–445). One of these (amino acids 431–445) bound to possum spermatozoa from the caudal epididymis. The implications of these findings for developing immunocontraceptive vaccines for possum control are discussed. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 70: 485–493, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.