SYNTHESIS AND ANTIGENIC PROPERTIES OF REDUCED PEPTIDE-BOND PSEUDOPEPTIDE ANALOGS OF A HISTONE H3 HEXAPEPTIDE

Pseudopeptide analogues of the C-terminal hexapeptide of histone H3 (- lle-Arg-Gly-Glu-Arg-Ala-OH) were obtained by systematically replacing, in each analogue, one peptide bond at a time by a reduced peptide bon d Psi(CH2-NH). The resulting analogues were then examined, in ELISA an d in the BIAcore system, for their ability to bind polyclonal and mono clonal antibodies generated against the parent natural peptide and the protein. The comparative results show that reduced bond pseudopeptide analogues can mimic the paient peptide. These results present the fir st unequivocal example for the potent applicability of reduced peptide bond pseudopeptides in the immunological field.