title: Characterization of neutralizing sites in the second variable and fourth variable region in gp125 and a conserved region in gp36 of human immunodeficiency virus type 2.
abstract: Several determinants of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been suggested to harbor sites important for neutralization. The third variable region (V3) of the envelope glycoprotein (gp) is an important neutralizing determinant for both serotypes of HIV. The localization of additional neutralizing regions is an urgent task because the virus appears to mutate to phenotypes that escape neutralizing antibodies. Therefore, we have focused on the possibility of finding other immunodominant regions in the envelope glycoproteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2). By immunization of guinea pigs with peptides corresponding to different selected regions of gp125 and gp36, we have found three antigenic determinants located in the V2 and V4 regions of the envelope protein gp125, and one region in the glycoprotein gp36, which are important for human antibody binding and also as targets for neutralization. The peptide representing the V2 region had the most pronounced capacity to induce neutralizing anti-HIV-2 antibodies in guinea pigs. Neutralizing activity was also detected in an antipeptide guinea pig sera representing a linear site in gp36, amino acids 644-658. A substitution set of peptides representing the conserved antigenic site in the central part of gp36 was used to identify the role of individual amino acids important for human antibody binding.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Tumorbiology Center, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skott
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Achour
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thorstensson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Björling
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000276:immunology; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015488:HIV Antigens; D007106:Immune Sera; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C059763:env protein gp36, Human immunodeficiency virus; C066316:gp125 envelope protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 2