Two B cell epitopes of HIV-1 Tat protein have limited antigenic polymorphism in geographically diverse HIV-1 strains.
HIV-1 Tat, a secreted virally encoded toxin, enhances chronic viral replication and induces immune suppression, activities blocked in vitro and in vivo by anti-Tat antibodies. We mapped HIV-1 Tat B cell epitopes, determined sequence variation within them in 350 Tat sequences in GenBank, and determined antigenic cross-reactions between significant amino acid polymorphs. Two of the four B cell epitope sequences identified had limited or no antigenic polymorphism within geographically diverse strains. For epitope 1 in primates, (V,I)4DP(R,K,S,N)7L(E,D)9PW(N,K)12, the most frequent antigenic polymorphs were VDPRLEPWK in B clades (75%) and VDPNLEPWN in non-B clades (64%), with five additional sequences occurring at lower incidence. Epitope 2 in primates, K41(G,A)42LGISYGRK50, had no antigenic polymorphism. These two epitopes have potential utility for the generation of universal vaccine immunogens and therapeutic antibodies.
Goldstein
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Thymon L.L.C., 30 Dorison Drive, Short Hills, NJ 07078, USA. gidgold@aol.com
Tribbick
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Manson
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016384:Consensus Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D019992:Databases as Topic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D000882:Haplorhini / Q000276:immunology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011817:Rabbits; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007106:Immune Sera; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus