Use of chimeric adenoviral vectors to assess capsid neutralization determinants.

In order to elucidate the relative importance of neutralizing determinants on each of the three major adenoviral capsid components, we have generated chimeric vectors where the hexon protein, or the fiber protein, or both hexon and fiber proteins of one serotype (Simian Adenovirus 24/Pan 7) have been replaced by those of another (Simian Adenovirus 23/Pan 6). The effect of each replacement was evaluated by neutralization assays and by attempted vector re-administration into mice. Both hexon and fiber were found to harbor neutralization epitopes although in vivo transduction was more severely affected by anti-hexon antibodies.