CROSS-REACTIVITY AND AMINO-ACID HOMOLOGY OF IMMUNODOMINANT PEPTIDE-FRAGMENTS OF STRUCTURAL PROTEINS OF HUMAN RETROVIRUSES HTLV-I, HTLV-II, HIV-1, AND HIV-2

Cross-reactivity with heterotypic anti-retrovirus antibodies was studi ed by immunoenzyme analysis of twelve synthetic peptide antigens corre sponding to nine immunodominant regions of structural proteins of huma n retroviruses HTLV-I, HIV-1, and HIV-2. A computer search for homolog ies between cross reacting peptides and retrovirus heterotypic protein s was made, as well as an analysis of the correspondence between the h omologous regions revealed and the immunodominant fragments. It has be en found that the 10-130 p19 gag HTLV-I, 376-392 gp21 env HTV-I, 381-4 00 gp21 env HTLV-I, 306-328 gp120 env HIV-1 and 581-603 gp36 env HIV-2 proteins are not only type-specifically reactive, but also cross-reac t with 3 to 54 percent of antisera containing antibodies against heter otypic retroviruses. On the other hand, the 120-130 p19 gag HTLV-I, 17 6-201 gp46 env HIV-1 and 602-624 gp46 env HIV-2 fail to show the cross -reactivity and can be used for type-specific and differential serodia gnostics of human retrovirus infection.