48-mer synthetic peptide analogue of the hepatitis B virus "a" determinant induces an anti-HBs antibody response after a single injection

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 159 - 166
• Main Authors: Moynihan, Jennifer S., D'Mello, Felicity I.M., Howard, Colin R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.2000; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Epitopes - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guinea Pigs; Hepatitis B - prevention & control; Hepatitis B Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - chemistry; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - immunology; Immunization; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Molecular Mimicry; Peptides - administration & dosage; Peptides - chemical synthesis; Peptides - immunology; synthetic peptides; vaccines; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Virology; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Antigenic determinant; Peptides; Rodentia; Orthohepadnavirus; Vaccine; Virus; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Guinea pig; Immunogenicity; Mouse; Hepadnaviridae; Hepatitis B virus; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/1096-9071(200010)62:2<159::AID-JMV6>3.0.CO;2-X

An extended (48 amino acid) synthetic peptide analogue of the hepatitus B virus (HBV) S protein (HBsAg) ‘a’ determinant has been produced by using 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (fmoc) chemistry and a low substitution polystyrene resin as the solid phase support. This peptide (S121/48) elicited a sustained anti‐peptide antibody response in BALB/c (H‐2d) mice when immunised with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). Cross‐reactive, anti‐HBs antibodies were induced, directed against a significant proportion of the conformationally restrained epitope repertoire on the native HBsAg particles. Similar responses were obtained by injection of guinea pigs, a species known both to be exquisitely sensitive to HBsAg and to produce a wide range of B cell responses to HBsAg antigens. Taken together, these data show for the first time, that a synthetic peptide mimicking conformational epitopes can be produced by chemical synthesis and can be used to induce significant titres of anti‐HBs antibodies after a single injection. This immunogen has considerable potential for incorporation into novel delivery systems, e.g., microspheres, thus offering the potential of a controlled release, single dose hepatitis B vaccine. J. Med. Virol. 62:159–166, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.