A single 10-residue pre-S(1) peptide can prime T cell help for antibody production to multiple epitopes within the pre-S(1), pre-S(2), and S regions of HBsAg.
The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize T cell and B cell recognition sites within the pre-S(1) region of HBsAg/p43, and to then analyze functional T cell-B cell interactions at the level of in vivo antibody production. The results indicate: three peptide sequences within the pre-S(1) region of HBsAg were identified which can induce and elicit HBsAg/p43-specific T cell proliferation; a 10-amino acid peptide, p12-21, defines one pre-S(1)-specific T cell recognition site, and residues 18 and 19 are critical to the recognition process; the p12-21 sequence can function as a T cell carrier for a synthetic B cell epitope within the pre-S(2) region; the p94-117 sequence contains at least two T cell recognition sites; five distinct, pre-S(1)-specific antibody binding sites were identified; synthetic pre-S(1) region T cell determinants can prime in vivo antibody production to multiple B cell epitopes within the pre-S(2) and S regions, as well as within the pre-S(1) region; the specificity of the primed T cell population can influence the specificity of the B cell response; and T cell recognition of pre-S(1) region peptides is regulated by H-2-linked genes.
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D010446:Peptide Fragments