title: Effect of peptide-carrier coupling on peptide-specific immune responses.
abstract: Synthetic peptides are covalently linked to immunogenic carrier proteins to enhance the anti-peptide immune response. To investigate whether the method of conjugation influences the immune response, we evaluated two distinctly different choices of linker for a peptide-carrier construct. HPG-30, a synthetic peptide derived from the p17 gag protein of human immunodeficiency virus 1, was covalently linked to keyhole limpet hemocyanin by either glutaraldehyde or a maleimide ester. Glutaraldehyde linkage enhanced the anti-peptide antibody and native protein response compared to maleimide. The maleimide-linked conjugate was more effective at inducing a peptide-specific cellular response. Thus, manipulation of the conjugation method can modify the magnitude and character of the immune response to a synthetic peptide vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Chemistry, Knox College, Galesburg, IL, USA. jkirkley@knox.edu
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kirkley
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Naylor
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D005260:Female; D005976:Glutaral; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008301:Maleimides; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; C052407:HGP-30 peptide, Human immunodeficiency virus-1; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D008301:Maleimides; D010455:Peptides; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C025285:N-(4-carboxycyclohexylmethyl)maleimide N-hydroxysuccinimide ester; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin; D005976:Glutaral