title: Identification of B cell epitopes reactive to human papillomavirus type-16L1- derived peptides.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persistent infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 causes cervical cancer. To better understand immune responses to the prophylactic vaccine, HPV 16/18 L1 virus-like particles (HPV-VLPs), we investigated B cell epitopes of HPV16 L1-derived peptides.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera from mice immunized with HPV-16/18 L1 VLPs were analyzed for their IgG titers against 10 different HPV16 L1-derived peptides (20-mer) that contain human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-class I A-2, A-24 and class II DR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One 20-mer peptide at positions 300 to 319 was identified as a common B cell epitope in both Balb/c (H-2d) and C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice. Mapping analysis showed that the 10-amino-acid sequence at positions 304 to 313 was an immunogenic portion. It is of note that the binding capability of this 10-mer peptide to the HLA-A2 and HLA-A24 molecules was confirmed by the HLA class I stabilization assay. In addition, one unique 20-mer was determined as a B cell epitope in each strain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results might provide new information for better understanding of immune responses to HPV 16 L1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Akimasa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsueda
authors.forename: Kouichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Naotake
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Nobukazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shichijo
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasada
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Kimio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ushijima
authors.forename: Kyogo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; C063317:L1 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16