The type II feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) epitopes for neutralizing and enhancing antibodies are present on large spike glycoprotein (S) protein. In this study, we established monoclonal antibody-resistant mutant viruses resistant to three different monoclonal antibodies with neutralizing activity in Felis catus whole fetus cells and enhancing activity in feline macrophages, recognizing distinct epitopes on type II FIPV S protein. By comparing the nucleotide sequences of these mutant viruses with that of wild-type virus, we attempted to identify the neutralizing epitopes. The mutations were localized in the region of amino acid residues from 480 to 649 from the N terminal of the S protein.
A fully differentiated spermatozoon of both Ascidia zara and Ascidia gemmata is approximately 35 microM long. It contains a head and a tail lacking a midpiece. The head (approximately 4 microM long for A. zara and 5 microM long for A. gemmata) contains an elongated nucleus and a single mitochondrion that flanks the nucleus. Multiple acrosomal vesicles (three or four in number) are present at the apex of the sperm head in both species. Each vesicle is approximately 50 x 50 x 60 nm, and contains moderately electron-dense material. During spermiogenesis of A. zara, three or four vesicles appear in a blister of an early stage spermatid. These vesicles transform into multiple acrosomal vesicles without fusing with each other. Spermiogenesis and acrosome differentiation are similar in A. gemmata and A. zara. Three types of acrosome differentiation in ascidians are described.
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