Cross-neutralization and antigenic characterization of simian and equine group A rotaviruses

Authors

• Shalini Soni, University of Kentucky
• Lianne G. Eertink, University of KentuckyFollow
• Ni Shuisong, Miami University
• Alan T. Loynachan, University of KentuckyFollow
• Samantha M. Barnum, University of California, Davis
• Emma Adam, University of KentuckyFollow
• Michael A. Kennedy, Miami University
• Dan Wang, University of KentuckyFollow
• Feng Li, University of KentuckyFollow

Abstract

Rotaviral diarrhea in foals is caused by two dominant G3P[12] and G14P[12] genotypes of equine rotavirus A (ERVA). Protection of foals against ERVA infection and disease is achievable by passive antibody transfer through colostrum from mares receiving inactivated monovalent G3P[12] vaccine. Simian rotavirus SA11 G3P[2] is also included in ERVA vaccines to protect foals. Here, we characterized cross-neutralization and protection among three distinctive rotaviruses carrying the same or different G (defined by VP7) or P (defined by VP4) genotype by using a rabbit and equine monospecific antisera panel coupled with structural and computational analyses of viral epitopes. Data from these experiments demonstrated that (i) rSA11 G3P[2] and equine G3P[12] neutralized well with each other in rabbit antisera but with less cross-neutralization capacity against equine G14P[12]; (ii) interestingly, rabbit antisera to equine G14P[12] provided more robust cross-protection against rSA11 G3P[2] than the reverse; (iii) despite only a few amino acid differences in VP8* between two equine viruses, rabbit antisera to VP8* of equine G3P[12] moderately cross-neutralized G14P[12] but with potent neutralizing activity against rSA11 G3P[2]; (iv) surprisingly, the breadth and magnitude of cross-neutralization among three viruses in equine antisera were broader and stronger than those observed in rabbit antisera; and (v) multiple highly solvent-exposed amino acid residues conserved in VP7 and VP8* among three viruses may serve as novel B cell epitopes that contribute to the observed cross-neutralization. Taken together, these results highlight that cross-neutralization determinants among different rotaviruses are complex and dependent on specific viral context and animal species.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Notes/Citation Information

Copyright © 2026 Soni et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00199-26

Funding Information

This work was supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant no. 2025-67016-44998 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (to F.L.) and William Robert Mills Endowed Chair Fund of the University of Kentucky.

Repository Citation

Soni, Shalini; Eertink, Lianne G.; Shuisong, Ni; Loynachan, Alan T.; Barnum, Samantha M.; Adam, Emma; Kennedy, Michael A.; Wang, Dan; and Li, Feng, "Cross-neutralization and antigenic characterization of simian and equine group A rotaviruses" (2026). Veterinary Science Faculty Publications. 72.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gluck_facpub/72