title: Immunogenically fit subunit vaccine components via epitope discovery from natural peptide libraries.
abstract: Antigenic peptides that bind pathogen-specific Abs are a potential source of subunit vaccine components. To be effective the peptides must be immunogenically fit: when used as immunogens they must elicit Abs that cross-react with native intact pathogen. In this study, antigenic peptides obtained from phage display libraries through epitope discovery were systematically examined for immunogenic fitness. Peptides selected from random peptide libraries, in which the phage-displayed peptides are encoded by synthetic degenerate oligonucleotides, had marginal immunogenic fitness. In contrast, 50% of the peptides selected from a natural peptide library, in which phage display segments of actual pathogen polypeptides, proved very successful. Epitope discovery from natural peptide libraries is a promising route to subunit vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-7400, USA. matthewslj@missouri.edu
authors.forename: Leslie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014764:Viral Proteins