DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE ANTIGENS

Using hydrophilicity, surface probability, backbone flexibility and se condary structure parameters, antigenic sites of B-thymosins (TB), ubi quitin and gp41 envelope glycoprotein fragments of HIV-1 are determine d. Corresponding antigenic sites of TB4, TB9, ubiquitin and gp41 (583- 623) are produced either by tryptic cleavage from the natural peptides or by solid phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc/Bu(t) strategy, Ecosyn P ba tch synthesizer, Eppendorf/Biotronik, Maintal, Germany). The predicted antigenic fragments allow the generation of specific antibodies for t he determination of body fluid or tissue levels and immunostaining exp eriments, or, in the case of gp41-HIV fragments, the antigens can be u sed directly for the diagnosis of AIDS patients.