Abstract
Monoclonal antibody 2F10 is an "internal-image" anti-idiotype (anti-id) antibody capable of mimicking the group-specific "a" determinant of human hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). By mRNA sequencing and computer-assisted molecular modeling of monoclonal antibody 2F10, we identified a 15-amino acid region of the heavy-chain hypervariable region that has partial residue homology with sequences of the "a" determinant epitopes of HBsAg, We have established that a linear 15-mer peptide from a contiguous region on the anti-id antibody can (i) generate anti-HBsAg-specific antibodies when injected into mice, (ii) prime murine lymph node cells for in vitro HBsAg-specific T-cell proliferative responses, and (iii) stimulate in vitro human CD4+ T cells that were primed in vivo to HBsAg by natural infection with hepatitis B virus or vaccination with a commercially available HBsAg vaccine. Significantly, this peptide could also stimulate CD4+ T cells of human hepatitis B virus carriers. We conclude that a 15-mer peptide derived from the anti-id sequence can duplicate the B- and T-cell stimulatory activity of the intact anti-id antibody and the antigen that is mimicked, HBsAg.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 11900-11904 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 89 |
Issue number | 24 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1992 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- "a" determinant HBsAg
- Epitope mimicry
- Immune response
- Molecular modeling
- mRNA sequencing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General