title: Immunogenicity of dinitrocarboxyphenylated melittin: the influence of C-terminal chain shortening, N-terminal substitution and prolin insertion at positions 5 and 10.
abstract: Peptides derived from the bee-venom melittin were fitted with the haptenic group dinitrocarboxyphenyl (Dncp) and tested in out-bred guinea pigs for immunogenicity by measuring the IgG anti-Dncp antibody response by ELISA. Dncp-conjugates comprising virtually the entire melittin proved to be strong immunogens producing antibody responses comparable to those of proteins. Weak responses were obtained with considerably shortened sequences. Conjugates with N-terminal Dncp gave markedly reduced antibody responses compared to peptides with C-terminal Dncp. An N-terminal biotinyl substituent abolished the immune response whereas N-terminal lauryl and caprylyl had little effect. Insertion of L-proline into a hexadecapeptide conjugate abolishing the possibility of helix formation gave an immunogen to which individual animals clearly responded on a low level. Oligomerisation, but not the cytolytic activity of melittin peptides, may contribute to the immunogenicities observed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and Allergology, University of Bern, Inselspital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rolli
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006241:Haptens / Q000737:chemistry; D007114:Immunization; D007120:Immunochemistry; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008555:Melitten / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D011392:Proline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010455:Peptides; D008555:Melitten; D011392:Proline