Effect af peptide-carrier coupling an peptide-specific immune responses

Synthetic peptides are covalently linked to immunogenic carrier proteins to enhance the anti-peptide immune response. To investigate whether the metho d of conjugation influences the immune response, we evaluated two distinctl y different choices of linker for a peptide-carrier construct. HPG-30, a sy nthetic peptide derived from the p17 gag protein of human immunodeficiency virus 1, was covalently linked to keyhole limper hemocyanin by either gluta raldehyde or a maleimide ester. Glutaraldehyde linkage enhanced tile anti-p eptide antibody and native protein response compared to maleimide. The male imide-linked conjugate was more effective at inducing a peptide-specific ce llular response. Thus, manipulation of the conjugation method can modify th e magnitude and character of the immune response to a synthetic peptide vac cine.