PEPTIDE MIMICRY OF CARBOHYDRATE EPITOPES ON HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS

Cancer-related, mucin-type carbohydrate epitopes, principally mannose and sialo-syl residues, are expressed on the envelope protein gp160 of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Anticarbohydrate antibodies d irected toward these and other carbohydrate epitopes are known to neut ralize HIV-1 infection by cell-free virus, Carbohydrates, however, bei ng T cell-independent antigens, typically elicit diminished immune res ponses. To overcome this potential draw back, we have examined the abi lity of peptides that mimic such epitopes to elicit immune responses t hat cross-react with carbohydrate structures, We report that mouse pol yclonal antisera generated against peptides that mimic mucin-related c arbohydrate epitopes have anti-HIV-1 activity. Generation of antibodie s was not Ir-gene restricted, as at least two different strains of mic e, Balb/c (H-2(d)) and C57BI/6 (H-2(b)), responded equally to the pept ides, The antipeptide sera displayed neutralizing activity against HIV -I/MN and HIV-I/3B viral strains, This neutralization was as good as h uman anti-HIV sera. These results indicate that peptide mimics of carb ohydrates provide a novel strategy for the further development of reag ents that elicit immune responses to carbohydrate epitopes associated with many infectious organisms and tumor cells.