title: A synthetic luteinizing hormone releasing hormone vaccine. I. Conjugation and specificity trials in BALB/c mice.
abstract: The immunobiology of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) was explored, to provide a conceptual and practical basis for the use of LHRH in immunocastration. Cysteine substituted analogues of LHRH were synthesized including Cys1-LHRH (C1-LHRH), Cys6-LHRH (C6-LHRH) and Cys10-LHRH (C10-LHRH). These were reacted to carrier molecules using the heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent m-maleimidobenzoylsulfosuccinimide ester (SMBS), producing peptide-carrier conjugates of known peptide content and conjugation orientation. This reaction regime was found to be rapid, efficient and allowed for easy control of peptide to carrier ratios. Conjugates were used in active immunization trials in BALB/c mice to characterize the murine immune response against LHRH. BALB/c mice were shown to have the capacity to recognise all three cysteine substituted LHRH analogues and to produce antibodies cross-reactive with native LHRH. The specificity of LHRH antisera generated was found to be dependent on the site of conjugation of the peptide to carrier molecule. C1-LHRH generated carboxy terminal directed antibodies, C10-LHRH generated amino terminal directed antibodies, while C6-LHRH could generate amino terminal directed or carboxy terminal directed antibodies, or both within a given animal. No intrinsically immunodominant epitopes were seen within the LHRH molecule.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D006433:Hemocyanins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010052:Ovariectomy; D014612:Vaccines / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin