The antigenic and immunogenic properties of synthetic peptide immunocontraceptive vaccine candidates based on gamete antigens.
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.
Sadler
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K
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Bird
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Brown
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Jackson
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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*
D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic