The potential protective immune responses to synthetic peptides containing conserved epitopes of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbrial protein.
The immunodominant and T-cell epitopes within the fimbrial subunit protein (fimbrilin) of Porphyromonas gingivalis strain 381 were analysed by multi-pin peptide synthesis technology. Six regions with immunodominant epitopes within a sequence of 337 amino acids that reacted with the serum of patients with adult periodontitis were detected. T cells from mice immunised with P. gingivalis fimbriae exhibited proliferative responses to P. gingivalis fimbriae or to six 10-mer synthetic peptides from the amino-acid sequence of the fimbrillin. Three synthetic peptides that contained the regions responsible for the immunodominant epitopes as well as those which coincided with a T-cell epitope of P. gingivalis fimbrial molecules--FP38 (142-161), FP381(202-221) and FP381(216-243)--were selected and synthesised. When guinea-pigs were immunised with fimbriae or one of the three synthetic peptide segments and an adjuvant in Freund's incomplete adjuvant, enhanced production of the antigen-specific IgG antibodies was induced in the serum of the animals. Furthermore, of the three synthetic peptides tested, FP381(202-221) produced the greatest protective immune response in guinea-pigs infected with P. gingivalis and this was more effective than the native fimbrial protein.
Department of Oral Microbiology, Osaka University, Faculty of Dentistry, Japan.
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Ogawa
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D016866:Bacteroidaceae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000276:immunology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C063055:fimbrillin; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins