NEW AMPHIPHILIC IMMUNOGENS BY POLY(N-ISOPROPYLACRYLAMIDE)-MODIFIED BOVINE SERUM-ALBUMIN

Using poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) co-oligomer with N,N-dimethylacryla mide (DMAAm) (IDc) we prepared polymer-protein conjugates of bovine se rum albumin (IDc-BSA). The conjugate underwent reversible hydration-de hydration changes in response to temperature changes and revealed phas e separation at body temperature. Mice were immunized by the intraveno us, intramuscular or intradermal routes with the IDc-BSA. The intraven ous route of single immunization without adjuvants evoked increased pr imary and secondary specific immune responses to IDc-BSA, whereas the intramuscular and intradermal did not elicit higher antibody productio n. The intradermal administration of BSA and IDc-BSA together with IFA both gave rise to high immunological activity. It is suggested that t he hydrophobic chain aggregation site of the IDc-BSA conjugate at body temperature would increase the adsorptive capacity of BSA on the immu nocompetent cells. The efficiency of such ''forced'' interactions of c onjugate aggregates (high epitope density) are high enough for the imm une response. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd