title: HIV-1 derived peptides fused to HBsAg affect its immunogenicity.
abstract: The hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface small antigen (HBsAg) self-assembles into virus-like particles (VLPs). HBsAg-based VLPs constitute a powerful vector for heterologous immunogenic peptides to develop a safe vaccine delivery system. HBV and the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are frequently associated in infection. An HIV-1 class I polyepitope was designed for an HIV-1/HBV vaccine prototype based on HBsAg VLPs. Invariable peptides from the original HIV-1 polyepitope were here permutated to study the influence of epitope order on HIV-1/HBV VLP immunogenicity. Anti-HIV-1 cellular responses were statistically comparable among polyepitope variants. Nevertheless, delivered HIV-1 polyepitopes impacted anti-HBsAg carrier immunogenicity in a polyepitope-specific manner. For a given set of epitopes, the choice of epitope order in polyepitopes is strategic to control immune responses towards HBsAg VLPs used as carrier of foreign immunogenic peptides.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur (IP), Department of Virology, Unité de Rétrovirologie Moléculaire, CNRS URA 3015, 75015 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Minerva Cervantes
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kostrzak
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guetard
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pniewski
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sala
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D054298:Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D007371:Interferon-gamma