title: Variable linking region immunogenicity using malarial peptide carrier protein conjugates of defined composition.
abstract: Thirty-five overlapping peptides from both conserved and variable parts of the N-terminal region of a malarial merozoite surface antigen (MSA2) were synthesised using solid phase chemistry. All peptides were synthesised with an added N-terminal cysteine and purified by reverse-phase HPLC to facilitate coupling to a carrier protein diphtheria toxoid (DT) using the hetero-bifunctional reagent maleimidocaproloxysuccinimide (MCS). Mice were immunised with these peptide-DT conjugates using Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). The immune response of these mice was tested against peptide hapten, carrier protein (DT) and the linking region itself, using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Although there was great variation in the immune response to each part of the immunogen construct, no significant correlation could be seen between each set of responses.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Herston, Australia.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mollard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saul
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin; D006241:Haptens; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C065974:merozoite surface protein 2, Plasmodium