Induction of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) neutralizing antibodies in rabbits immunized with recombinant HIV--hepatitis B surface antigen particles.
Fragments of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope coding region have been fused with the hepatitis B virus envelope middle protein. In this system, HIV antigenic determinants are exposed at the surface of a highly antigenic structure, the hepatitis B surface antigen particle. Immunization of rabbits with these particles elicited antibodies directed against both parts of the hybrid protein. One of the rabbit antisera not only exhibited a neutralizing effect on the original HIV1 isolate but also on a divergent Zairian isolate. The HIV sequence in this recombinant is 84 amino acids long and contains conserved and variable domains and a region critical for interaction with the CD4 receptor. Such recombinant antigens could be primary elements in the design of a polyvalent vaccine.
Michel
M L
ML
Unité de Recombinaison et Expression Génétique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 163, Paris, France.
Mancini
M
M
Sobczak
E
E
Favier
V
V
Guetard
D
D
Bahraoui
E M
EM
Tiollais
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001483:Base Sequence; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection
D000939:Epitopes; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007106:Immune Sera; D011994:Recombinant Proteins