title: The antigenic and immunogenic properties of synthetic peptide immunocontraceptive vaccine candidates based on gamete antigens.
abstract: In this study we have investigated the immunogenicity and antigenicity of synthetic immunocontraceptive vaccine candidates containing T- and B-cell epitopes arranged in different geometries. Two epitopes were selected, a B-cell epitope from fox sperm lactate dehydrogenase C(4) and a B-cell epitope from murine zona pellucida protein 3. Both were immunogenic in BALB/c mice when coupled to defined T helper cell determinants, eliciting antibodies which bound to the corresponding B-cell epitope and also to the recombinant protein. Because each of these proteins represent important components in the fertilisation process the results encourage further investigation of synthetic immunocontraceptive vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sadler
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003269:Contraception, Immunologic; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic