Antigenic site variation in foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O grown under vaccinal serum antibodies in vitro

•Neutralizing antibody-resistant populations of FMD virus serotype O were characterized.•Amino acid substitutions were fixed within antigenic sites of serotype O except site 4 and 5.•Substitutions outside of the antigenic sites might be significant for immune escape.•In majority of the variant populations, site 3 was found to be substituted.•Field viruses showed substitutions at the same locations as identified in the variants. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is constantly evolving under neutralizing antibody pressure in either naturally infected or vaccinated animals. This study was carried out to understand the dynamics of evolution of antigenic sites. Neutralizing antibody-resistant populations of three strains of FMDV serotype O (INDR2/1975, IND120/2002 and IND271/2001) were isolated by serial propagation in BHK-21 cells in the presence of sub-neutralizing level of bovine vaccinal sera (BVS). In the partial neutralization escape variants, fixation of aa substitutions were observed at critical residues of all established antigenic sites of serotype O {144 of VP1 (site 1), 45 and 48 of VP1 (site 3), 72 and 134 of VP2 (Site 2)} except site 4 and 5. In majority of the variant populations, site 3 was found to be substituted and therefore immunodominance may not be associated with a particular site, rather it appears to be a virus strain and infected host specific affair. Substitutions were also observed in proximity to the identified residues {41 and 51 (βB-βC loop), 133, 140 and 143 (βG-βH loop), 201, 204 and 209 (C terminus) of VP1, 71 and 75 (βB-βC loop), 131 (βE-αB region), 174 and 179 (βG-βH loop) and 219 (C terminus) of VP3} within antigenic sites of serotype O or other serotypes which could be significant in terms of neutralizing antibody binding and immune escape. Presence of similar residues in the Indian field viruses as selected in the variants supports the importance of these sites in antigenic diversification of serotype O FMD virus.