Antigenic Diversity of Human Norovirus Capsid Proteins Based on the Cross-Reactivities of Their Antisera.

Human norovirus (HuNoV), which is the major causative agent of acute gastroenteritis, has broad antigenic diversity; thus, the development of a broad-spectrum vaccine is challenging. To establish the relationship between viral genetic diversity and antigenic diversity, capsid P proteins and antisera of seven GI and 16 GII HuNoV genotypes were analyzed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays showed that HuNoV antisera strongly reacted with the homologous capsid P proteins (with titers > 5 × 104). However, 17 (73.9%) antisera had weak or no cross-reactivity with heterologous genotypes. Interestingly, the GII.5 antiserum cross-reacted with seven (30.4%) capsid P proteins (including pandemic genotypes GII.4 and GII.17), indicating its potential use for HuNoV vaccine development. Moreover, GI.2 and GI.6 antigens reacted widely with heterologous antisera (n ≥ 5). Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses of the P proteins revealed conserved regions, which may be responsible for the immune crossover reactivity observed. These findings may be helpful in identifying broad-spectrum epitopes with clinical value for the development of a future vaccine.