title: Detection of epitopes on follicle-stimulating hormone and FSH-antiserum-induced suppression of bioactivity of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone.
abstract: There are currently two major approaches to hormonal male contraception. One relies on testosterone (analogs) either alone or in combination with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) (analogs or immunizations), the other on immunizations against follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Theoretically, the latter method will suppress spermatogenesis whilst not interfering with libido. An absolute requirement is, however, that an anti-FSH vaccine does not include anti-luteinizing hormone (LH) antibodies (LH being responsible for the induction of testosterone which is necessary to maintain libido). In this report we show that when whole FSH is used for vaccination, in most cases in addition to biological activity against FSH, anti-LH activity is also induced. By systematic analysis of the antisera raised with FSH using systematic epitope scanning (PEPSCAN) we found differences between the FSH-specific and FSH-nonspecific sera. Only the FSH-specific antiserum contained antibodies that recognized amino acid sequence 37-55 on the beta-subunit in a linear manner. Because antibodies against this epitope have not been found in the cross-reactive sera this epitope forms a prime candidate for an anti-FSH contraceptive vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Science and Health, Department of Molecular Recognition, AB Lelystad, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Westhoff
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Slootstra
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Puijk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuperus
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Flinterman
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Schaaper
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Oonk
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Meloen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D018604:Epitope Mapping / Q000379:methods; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000276:immunology; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone