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An In-Depth Review of the Genetics of the Non-Classical HLA Class I Gene HLA-E and Its Effects on Haematopoietic Cell Transplant Outcomes.

HLA-E is a non-classical HLA class I gene with limited reported genetic variability and few published studies into full-gene sequencing or population allele frequencies. Two protein variants, HLA-E*01:01 and HLA-E*01:03, are very common, accounting for 94%-100% of observed alleles in most studies performed to date. Frequently utilised exon-based sequencing strategies have led to the assumption of HLA-E being a near bi-allelic gene; however, recent full-gene sequencing studies have shown a greater degree of genetic variability than initially imagined. We carried out a literature review of HLA-E genotype and ethnicity data, which suggested HLA-E*01:03 is more common in Asian and, in particular, East Asian populations. Furthermore, HLA-E*01:03:02 is more frequently observed than HLA-E*01:03:01 in European and American populations, whereas HLA-E*01:03:01 is found at higher frequencies in Asian populations. It has been proposed that HLA-E may have a role in Haematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT) due to its interaction with NK and CD8+ T cells and its non-canonical peptide binding repertoire. Here we also review published literature into the effects of HLA-E genetics on HCT outcomes. Heterogeneity between cohorts muddies the waters; hence, studies report confounding effects of HLA-E genotype and matching on HCT outcomes. The need for further HLA-E sequencing of larger cohorts is evident to gain useful insight into the true genetic variability of HLA-E and its impact on HCT.

Humans

From sequence space to ecological function: microbiome-derived antimicrobial peptides as community effectors and therapeutic leads.

Antimicrobial peptide research has long centred on host defence molecules, yet microbiomes themselves encode a diverse and increasingly important repertoire of peptide-based antimicrobials. These microbiome-derived antimicrobial peptides include bacteriocins, ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides, cryptic short open reading frame-encoded peptides, embedded antimicrobial regions within larger proteins, and selected peptide antibiotics recovered from human, animal, plant and environmental microbiomes. Recent advances in genome mining, metagenomics, and machine learning have greatly expanded the scale of discovery, moving the field from a handful of landmark exemplars to large candidate catalogues spanning the global microbiome. In the clearest cases, these molecules are not only anti-infective leads but ecological effectors: they mediate microbial competition, enforce colonisation resistance, and influence community structure within densely occupied niches. The present review synthesises the field across discovery classes, microbiome sources, ecological roles, and translational bottlenecks, emphasizing a central limitation of the field: candidate catalogues are expanding at extraordinary scale, while evidence for native expression, producer assignment, ecological function, and in vivo relevance remains limited for the vast majority of predicted molecules. Progress will depend on workflows that connect sequence level prediction to biological context through expression support, producer assignment, community level validation, and perturbation-based approaches that distinguish ecological association from causal function. Microbiome-derived antimicrobial peptides are best understood not only as promising therapeutic leads, but also as molecular mediators of microbial social life whose ecological origins are central to their interpretation and future application.

Microbiota

Deciphering the prodrome of inflammatory bowel disease up to 10 years before disease onset by massively parallel serology.

BACKGROUND: Defining immune dysregulation during the asymptomatic prodrome of immune-mediated diseases offers opportunities for early disease detection and interception. In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), prodromal immune changes remain poorly characterised. OBJECTIVE: To define preclinical immunological alterations by characterising longitudinal serum antibody repertoires using high-throughput phage-display immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq). DESIGN: We applied PhIP-Seq to profile antibody responses in 2000 longitudinal serum samples from 200 individuals who developed Crohn's disease (CD), 200 who developed ulcerative colitis (UC) and 100 matched healthy controls within the US military Proteomic Evaluation and Discovery in an IBD Cohort of Tri-service Subjects cohort, collected up to 10 years before diagnosis. Antibody repertoires were profiled against 357 000 microbial-associated, viral-associated, food-associated and immune-associated peptides. RESULTS: Antibody repertoire variability was increased up to ~4 years prediagnosis in pre-CD and pre-UC individuals. Differential analyses revealed elevated herpesvirus-directed responses (notably Epstein-Barr virus) and anti-flagellin antibodies up to 10 years prediagnosis in CD, particularly in individuals who later developed complicated or ileal disease. In contrast, responses to encapsulated bacteria (eg, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus, Neisseria) progressively declined towards diagnosis. Pre-UC was characterised by combined antimicrobial, antiviral and autoantibody signatures, including antibodies against the MAP kinase-activating death domain protein. CONCLUSIONS: Large-scale serological profiling of archived prediagnostic samples identified disease-specific immune trajectories years before IBD onset, providing novel insights into disease pathogenesis in its prodromal phase.

ANTIGENS

Innovative CRISPR/Cas9-Based Strategy for Allele-Specific HLA Peptidome Analysis Using a Pan-HLA Antibody.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) immunopeptidomics is restricted by the limited availability of allele-specific antibodies and by potential artifacts introduced by HLA overexpression systems. To address these challenges, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based strategy that selectively deletes undesired classical class I alleles while preserving a single endogenous allele, thereby enabling allele-resolved peptidome profiling with a pan-HLA class I antibody. As a proof of concept, we edited JY cells to eliminate HLA-B∗07:02 and HLA-C∗07:02 while retaining HLA-A∗02:01 (ΔBC clones). Peptide-HLA complexes were immunoprecipitated from WT and ΔBC clones using either the pan-HLA class I antibody W6/32 or the A∗02:01-specific antibody PA2.1, followed by nanoLC-MS/MS and computational HLA assignment. Deletion of HLA-B and HLA-C alleles caused an expected ∼55% reduction in total class I surface expression. Despite this, W6/32 immunoprecipitation from ΔBC clones recovered a comparable peptide yield to PA2.1 in WT cells. Binding predictions showed that most peptides identified in ΔBC clones using W6/32 were assigned to HLA-A∗02:01, with near-complete loss of HLA-B∗07:02- and HLA-C∗07:02-derived peptides. Sequence logo analysis confirmed the canonical A∗02:01 motif across conditions. The ΔBC W6/32 immunopeptidome exhibited a high degree of overlap (∼88%) with the WT PA2.1 repertoire, supporting the specificity and fidelity of the approach. These findings establish CRISPR-based editing of HLA alleles as a viable strategy for allele-specific immunopeptidome analysis using pan-HLA antibodies, supporting its potential application beyond this proof-of-concept system, reducing reliance on allele-specific reagents and facilitating the study of underrepresented HLA alleles.

Humans

The steering function of T cells in expression of the antibody repertoire directed against multideterminant protein antigen.

Limitation in the T-cell repertoire has the consequence of reducing the heterogeneity of antibody production. This has been demonstrated in three different systems, in which the T-cell restriction was imposed (1) by tolerance, (2) by peptide priming (3) by natural scarcity. Therefore, expressed repertoires may represent only a portion of the genetically prescribed V regions.

Animals

RRNPP quorum-sensing repertoires in the salivarius group genomes: overrepresentation and synchronous activation of SHP/Rgg systems in Streptococcus thermophilus.

UNLABELLED: In Bacillota, quorum sensing can be mediated by RRNPP regulators that are activated by autoinducing peptides (AIPs). In this study, we derived a hidden Markov model profile from a 3D-informed alignment to establish RRNPP repertoires for 527 genomes of streptococci in the salivarius group and identified probable AIPs. The salivarius group encompasses Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus vestibularis, which are part of the normal human oral microflora, and Streptococcus thermophilus, one of the most widely used bacteria in the dairy industry. We observed a large amount of plasticity in these repertoires, as well as profound differences among species. Notably, S. salivarius displayed an accumulation of ComR regulators, while S. thermophilus displayed an accumulation of Rgg regulators. The latter family included SHP-associated Rgg regulators, systems in which SHPs serve as AIPs; most of these regulators control the production of post-translationally modified peptides (RaS-RiPPs). Their level of richness contrasts with the genome reduction that accompanied S. thermophilus' adaptation to milk. We then used liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the activity of the eight most common SHP/Rgg systems by characterizing the SHPs and RaS-RiPPs found in the supernatants. We detected four SHPs and one RaS-RiPP that have never been seen before in S. thermophilus, and we showed that seven of the eight SHP/Rgg systems were functional. Finally, by simultaneously monitoring the amounts of both the SHPs and RaS-RiPPs, we demonstrated that the fates of these two peptide types differed during growth. SHP presence in the supernatant was transient, a pattern likely related to the peptides' signaling role. IMPORTANCE: Streptococcus thermophilus possesses an unusually high number of Rgg regulators, which are activated by SHP pheromones that control the production of RaS-RiPPs, peptides with cyclization motifs and growth inhibition properties. We conducted an in silico analysis of regulator repertoires across a wide range of strains; a subsequent experimental study revealed that the majority of the SHP/Rgg systems were functional. Employing an optimized liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry protocol, we were able to better detect and follow SHP and RaS-RiPP accumulation. While RaS-RiPPs accumulated during growth, SHPs were only transiently present in the extracellular environment. This observation suggests that we could manipulate quorum sensing by adding SHPs to the growth medium and highlights the need to study the functions of the RaS-RiPPs.

Streptococcus thermophilus

Learning predictive signatures of HLA type from T-cell repertoires.

T cells recognize a wide range of pathogens using surface receptors that interact directly with peptides presented on major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) encoded by the HLA loci in humans. Understanding the association between T cell receptors (TCR) and HLA alleles is an important step towards predicting TCR-antigen specificity from sequences. Here we analyze the TCR alpha and beta repertoires of large cohorts of HLA-typed donors to systematically infer such associations, by looking for overrepresentation of TCRs in individuals with a common allele.TCRs, associated with a specific HLA allele, exhibit sequence similarities that suggest prior antigen exposure. Immune repertoire sequencing has produced large numbers of datasets, however the HLA type of the corresponding donors is rarely available. Using our TCR-HLA associations, we trained a computational model to predict the HLA type of individuals from their TCR repertoire alone. We propose an iterative procedure to refine this model by using data from large cohorts of untyped individuals, by recursively typing them using the model itself. The resulting model shows good predictive performance, even for relatively rare HLA alleles.

Humans

Venomous Lepidoptera: defensive toxin systems, venom composition, and clinical significance.

Venomous Lepidoptera constitute an underrecognized yet medically significant group of toxin-producing arthropods that employ contact-mediated defensive envenomation through specialized integumentary structures such as setae, spines, and scoli. Unlike actively stinging arthropods, these insects deliver venom passively upon contact, eliciting a diverse spectrum of clinical manifestations collectively termed lepidopterism. Clinical outcomes range from localized pain and dermatitis to severe systemic effects, including hemorrhagic syndromes, complement activation, and chronic inflammatory disorders. Recent advances in proteomic and transcriptomic technologies have transformed our understanding of lepidopteran venoms, revealing unexpectedly complex toxin repertoires comprising serine proteases, phospholipases, pore-forming proteins, disulfide-rich peptides, neuroactive RF-amide peptides, and immune-modulating components. These findings have provided new insights into the molecular basis of toxicity, host-pathogen interactions, and the evolutionary diversification of venom systems within Lepidoptera. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the morphology of venom-delivery structures, venom composition, mechanisms of action, and associated clinical manifestations, while highlighting medically important taxa, particularly species of the genus Lonomia. The successful development of antivenom against Lonomia envenomation underscores the translational relevance of lepidopteran toxin research and its potential for therapeutic innovation. By integrating molecular, clinical, and evolutionary perspectives, this review repositions venomous Lepidoptera as a legitimate and important component of arthropod toxinology. Furthermore, it identifies critical methodological limitations and key knowledge gaps, providing a framework for future investigations aimed at advancing our understanding of toxin biology, immunopathology, and the development of novel biomedical applications.

Animals

Substrate recognition and cleavage by mucin degrading O-glycopeptidases from the gut microbe Bacteroides caccae.

O-glycopeptidases are enzymes that hydrolyze the peptide bonds in glycoproteins by a mechanism that involves specific recognition of O-linked glycans on the substrate. Bacteroides caccae, an accomplished mucin degrader, is a member of the human gut microbiota with sixteen genes encoding putative O-glycopeptidases in the peptidase_M60 family. At present, the diversity of substrate selectivity in O-glycopeptidases is not well-understood, nor is the rationale behind their expansion in bacteria such as B. caccae. Here, we reveal the activity and diversity of the peptidase_M60 O-glycopeptidases encoded in the B. caccae genome. At least thirteen of the sixteen peptidase_M60 encoding genes produce active mucinolytic enzymes. Targeted functional studies by a high-throughput FRET screen combined with detailed kinetic analyses reveal that five examples in an uncharacterized clade of peptidase_M60 proteins are specifically O-glycopeptidases with different substrate selectivities despite their relatively high degree of relatedness. Structural analyses of these enzymes, including bound complexes, reveal new insight into the molecular underpinnings of O-glycopeptidase diversity. This highlights the larger context of how varied the selectivity of peptidase_M60 O-glycopeptidases can be for the glycan moiety and/or the peptide portion of the substrates, and why mucin degraders like B. caccae diversify O-glycopeptidase substrate repertoires to potentially maximize breakdown of this extraordinarily complex polymer.

Mucins

AAV's anatomy: roadmap for optimizing vectors for translational success.

Adeno-Associated Virus based vectors (rAAV) are advantageous for human gene therapy due to low inflammatory responses, lack of toxicity, natural persistence, and ability to transencapsidate the genome allowing large variations in vector biology and tropism. Over sixty clinical trials have been conducted using rAAV serotype 2 for gene delivery with a number demonstrating success in immunoprivileged sites, including the retina and the CNS. Furthermore, an increasing number of trials have been initiated utilizing other serotypes of AAV to exploit vector tropism, trafficking, and expression efficiency. While these trials have demonstrated success in safety with emerging success in clinical outcomes, one benefit has been identification of issues associated with vector administration in humans (e.g. the role of pre-existing antibody responses, loss of transgene expression in non-immunoprivileged sites, and low transgene expression levels). For these reasons, several strategies are being used to optimize rAAV vectors, ranging from addition of exogenous agents for immune evasion to optimization of the transgene cassette for enhanced therapeutic output. By far, the vast majority of approaches have focused on genetic manipulation of the viral capsid. These methods include rational mutagenesis, engineering of targeting peptides, generation of chimeric particles, library and directed evolution approaches, as well as immune evasion modifications. Overall, these modifications have created a new repertoire of AAV vectors with improved targeting, transgene expression, and immune evasion. Continued work in these areas should synergize strategies to improve capsids and transgene cassettes that will eventually lead to optimized vectors ideally suited for translational success.

Cystic Fibrosis

PhIP-Seq uncovers marked heterogeneity in acute rheumatic fever autoantibodies.

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and associated rheumatic heart disease are serious sequelae after infection with group A Streptococcus (Strep A). Autoantibodies are thought to contribute to pathogenesis, with deeper exploration of the autoantibody repertoire needed to improve mechanistic understanding and identify new biomarkers. Phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq) with the HuScan library (>250,000 overlapping 90-mer peptides spanning the human proteome) was utilized to analyze autoreactivity in sera from children with ARF, uncomplicated Strep A pharyngitis, and matched healthy controls. A global proteome-wide increase in autoantigen reactivity was observed in ARF, as was marked heterogeneity between patients. Public epitopes, common between individuals with ARF were rare, and comprised less than 1% of all enriched peptides. Differential analysis identified both unknown and previously identified ARF autoantigens, including PPP1R12B, a myosin phosphatase complex regulatory subunit expressed in cardiac muscle, and members of the collagen protein family, respectively. Pathway analysis found antigens from the disease-relevant processes encompassing sarcomere and heart morphogenesis were targeted. In sum, PhIP-Seq has substantially expanded the spectrum of autoantigens in ARF, and reveals the rarity of public epitopes in the disease. It provides further support for the role of epitope spreading in pathogenesis and has identified PPP1R12B as an enriched autoantigen.

Humans

Phyllosphere microbiomes in grassland plants harbor a vast reservoir of novel antimicrobial peptides and biosynthetic diversity.

INTRODUCTION: The phyllosphere microorganisms colonizing plant surface harbor capacities to synthesize diverse specialized metabolites that mediate communication and interactions with environment and host. However, most known metabolites are derived from a few culturable microorganisms, and the genomic diversity and biosynthetic potential of the vast majority of bacteria associated with plants remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVES: Here, we aim to explore the genome architecture, biosynthetic ability, and host specific adaptability of grassland ecosystems, uncovering new perspectives on grassland phyllosphere microbial resources. METHODS: We employed ultra-deep metagenomic sequencing, functional analysis, host-associated characterization, and bioactivity assays to explore the phyllosphere microbiome across 221 grassland plant samples representing 45 families. This approach revealed host preference in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and validated the antimicrobial efficacy of phyllosphere-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). RESULTS: Grassland plant phyllosphere microbiomes encode diverse BGCs. We identified 885,396 potential AMPs from over 68 million non-redundant gene sequences. Then, we reconstructed hundreds of near-complete genomes from phyllosphere metagenomes, and 32.61 % of reconstructed genomes were identified as unclassified genomes, primarily within Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacillota and Bacteroidota phyla. Of the near-complete genomes, 91.97 % of the BGCs and 99.76 % of the identified AMPs were previously uncharacterized. Host phylogenetic analysis revealed functional divergence. Poaceae-associated Pseudomonas genomes contain an average of 28 BGCs, significantly higher than those in Asteraceae-associated genomes (mean = 14.76, P = 0.033). Similarly, Poaceae-associated Pantoea genomes carried an average of 9 BGCs, exhibiting significant enrichment compared to genomes from Asteraceae (mean = 7.13, P = 6.1e-05), Lamiaceae (mean = 7, P = 0.015), Ranunculaceae (mean = 8.22, P = 0.0053), and Rosaceae (mean = 7.75, P = 0.00069). ParaFit analyses further confirmed that host phylogeny significantly structures microbial functional repertoires, with intra-family hosts sharing more KEGG pathways than inter-family hosts. These results suggest that host evolutionary relationships are associated with metabolic specialization in phyllosphere microbiomes. All 13 AMPs synthesized via solid-phase peptide synthesis demonstrated antimicrobial activity, inhibiting the growth of at least one tested bacterial strain. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the promise of grassland plant phyllosphere microbiome as a rich source for novel antimicrobial agents.

Antimicrobial Peptides

Combinatorial approaches for the identification of brain drug delivery targets.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents a large obstacle for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. Targeting endogenous nutrient transporters that transcytose the BBB is one promising approach to selectively and noninvasively deliver a drug payload to the brain. The main limitations of the currently employed transcytosing receptors are their ubiquitous expression in the peripheral vasculature and the inherent low levels of transcytosis mediated by such systems. In this review, approaches designed to increase the repertoire of transcytosing receptors which can be targeted for the purpose of drug delivery are discussed. In particular, combinatorial protein libraries can be screened on BBB cells in vitro or in vivo to isolate targeting peptides or antibodies that can trigger transcytosis. Once these targeting reagents are discovered, the cognate BBB transcytosis system can be identified using techniques such as expression cloning or immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry. Continued technological advances in BBB genomics and proteomics, membrane protein manipulation, and in vitro BBB technology promise to further advance the capability to identify and optimize peptides and antibodies capable of mediating drug transport across the BBB.

Animals

Genetic control of the immune response to the terpolymer L-glutamic acid 60-L-alanine 30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT). III. Restricted heterogeneity of the anti-GAT response from BALB/c responder mice.

The heterogeneity of the anti-GAT [terpolymer poly(Glu60, Ala30, Tyr10)] response of GAT responder mice has been analyzed. Purified anti-GAT antibodies from BALB/c mice belong only to the gamma 1 kappa subclass. The isoelectric focusing pattern obtained indicates that the anti-GAT antibodies are particularly basic and restricted. These results have been confirmed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; by this technique, we have shown that the gamma 1 chain and the corresponding kappa chain of anti-GAT antibodies are restricted. All the anti-GAT antibodies from 10 BALB/c mice bear the cross-reactive GAT idiotype previously defined (J. Thèze and G. Sommé, Eur. J. Immunol. 1979, 9: 924). The present results indicate that the anti-GAT repertoire expressed in BALB/c mice is very limited.

Animals

Translocation of proteins across membranes: the signal hypothesis and beyond.

Proteins are translocated across membranes either coupled to translation (co-translationally) or after translation (post-translationally). The information for both modes of translocation is encoded in the protein in the form of a short-lived sequence extension (signal sequence). Additional information resides in the ribosome in the case of co-translational translocation, which proceeds via a ribosome--membrane junction. Translocation is mediated by specific receptors (ribosome and/or signal receptors) which are restricted in their location to distinct cellular membranes. In most cases the signal sequence is removed by a signal peptidase operating in an endoproteolytic mode. Membranes endowed with receptors for co-translational translocation are: the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) including the outer nuclear envelope membrane, the inner mitochondrial membrane and the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts, in eukaryotic cells; and the plasma membrane in prokaryotic cells. Each of these membranes presumably contains a single distinctive signal receptor, ribosome receptor and signal peptidase. Membranes endowed with one distinct receptor each for post-translational translocation are both mitochondrial membranes, the chloroplast envelope membrane and the peroxisomal membrane. A signal sequence for co-translational translocation across the RER membrane that is identical in its secondary structure is shared by secretory, lysosomal and certain bitopic integral membrane proteins. Some integral membrane proteins presumably share another common sequence--referred to as stop-transfer sequence--which serves to interrupt translocation and thereby to orient the polypeptide chain in the lipid bilayer. Furthermore, the existence of a few specific 'sorting' sequences is postulated. These would be common to many proteins and would serve to route them to their final destination following translocation across or orientation within the membrane. Thus, the topological information which determines the intracellular pathway and the final location of a great number of proteins appears to reside in a small repertoire of specific sequences which are either a transient or a permanent part of the protein.

Animals

Co-regulation of HIV control and cytomegalovirus pp65-specific IL-1β and TNF-α responses by genetic variants in the MHC region.

The spontaneous control of HIV infection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy, termed HIV control, is associated with genetic variation in the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) locus. These variants are known to influence the immune response to HIV itself. However, people living with HIV are often co-infected with other pathogens that can also elicit immune responses, which might also be regulated by these variants. Here, we assessed whether genetic variants associated with HIV control influence cytokine responses to various co-pathogens. HIV-control-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were enriched among variants regulating TNF-α and IL-1β production upon CMV pp65 peptide pool stimulation. The top enriched SNPs, rs1128175-A and rs2853971-A, were linked to lower odds of HIV control and increased cytokine responses to CMV. These SNPs were in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with classical HLA alleles HLA-B*07:02 and HLA-C*07:02. Intracellular cytokine staining showed CMV serostatus-dependent production of TNF-α by monocytes and CD8 T cells. The rs1128175-A/rs2853971-A/HLA-B*07:02/HLA-C*07:02 haplotype was associated with increased IFN-γ production by CD8 T cells upon CMV pp65 peptide pool stimulation, indicating an effect on memory responses. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping showed that rs1128175 and rs2853971 influence HLA-B and HLA-C expression, DNA methylation levels and cell-type-specific cis-effects on chromatin accessibility, as well as CD8 T cell subset abundance. These QTL associations suggest that variants associated with poor HIV control are linked to heightened pro-inflammatory responses to CMV pp65 through effects on antigen presentation, epigenetic modifications, gene expression and immune cell repertoire, potentially negatively affecting HIV control status.

Humans

Specificity and crossreactivity of idiotypes of murine antibodies induced by poly(Tyr,Glu)-poly(DLAla)-poly(Lys) and poly(Phe,Glu)-poly(DLAla)-poly(Lys).

Antibodies elicited against the two synthetic polypeptides, poly(Tyr,Glu)-poly(DLAla)-poly(Lys) [(T,G)-A-L] and poly(Phe,Glu)-poly(DLAla)-poly(Lys) [(Phe,G)-A-L], are crossreactive although the humoral responses to these immunogens are under different genetic controls. The fine specificity of the antibodies elicited by the two polypeptides was studied in the present work. Antisera against (Phe,G)-A-L bind both (125)I-labeled (T,G)-A-L and iodinated modified (Phe,G)-A-L. However, while the binding to (T,G)-A-L could be inhibited completely with the two antigens, the binding to (Phe,G)-A-L was inhibited completely with (Phe,G)-A-L and only partially with (T,G)-A-L. The binding of (125)I-labeled (T,G)-A-L to antisera against (T,G)-A-L was inhibted more efficiently by the homologous antigen than by (Phe,G)-A-L although both antigens completely inhibited the binding. (T,G)-A-L specific antibodies were purified on (T,G)-A-L immunoadsorbents from antisera of high and low responder mice to (T,G)-A-L immunized with (Phe,G)-A-L. (Phe,G)-A-L specific antibodies that did not bind (T,G)-A-L were isolated from the effluent of these columns. By use of anti-idiotypic antibodies of guinea pig against C3H.SW antibodies to (T,G)-A-L it was shown that (T,G)-A-L specific antibodies isolated from antisera against (Phe,G)-A-L of C3H.SW and C3H/DiSn mice possess part of the idiotypic determinants existing on antibodies of C3H.SW obtained by immunization with (T,G)-A-L. In contrast, antibodies to (Phe,G)-A-L that did not bind (T,G)-A-L did not share idiotypic determinants with C3H.SW antibody molecules against (T,G)-A-L. These results suggest that the B cell repertoire expressed by high and low responders to (T,G)-A-L after immunization with (Phe,G)-A-L is similar and represents only part of that of high responders immunized with (T,G)-A-L.

Animals