Use of flanking sequences to study secondary structure-activity correlations of a Mycobacterium leprae T cell epitope
✍ Scribed by Dave C. Anderson; Wim C. A. Van Schooten; Michael E. Barry; Anneke A. M. Janson; René R. P. Devries
- Book ID
- 102824411
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1990
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 652 KB
- Volume
- 20
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0014-2980
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✦ Synopsis
Use of flanking sequences to study secondary structure-activity correlations of a Mycobacterium Zeprae T cell epitope*
The 65-kDa protein of the intracellular pathogen M . leprue is prominent in the immune response to this mycobacterium, and individual Tcell epitopes from this protein sequence have been defined. We have tested the stimulatory activity of extended analogs of the minimal peptide representing one such epitope, LQAAPALDKL, with a variety of tetrapeptide extensions added to enhance or destabilize a helix formation. The conformational potential of the peptides was measured by circular dichroism using aqueous trifluoroethanol as a secondary structure inducer. Although analogs with high helical potential activated Tcells at low concentrations, a less helical variant was similarly potent. Activity also did not correlate with predicted overall a helical amphipathicity. One analog was found which stimulated T cell proliferation in the 50 pM range. The effect of tetrapeptide extensions on epitope activity is not consistent with the importance in activity of only a single stable secondary structure such as an a helix.