| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000)
Fiscal Year 1994: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 1993: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
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| Research Abstract |
In order to define neutralization regions the envelope antigen of human T-cell leukemia virus type-I (HTLV-I) we have generated a number new antienvelope gp46 mAbs fromrats and mice. Epitopes recognized by new mAbs, which could neutralize HTLV-I in syncytium and transformation inhibition assays, were localized to gp46 amino acid sequences, 186-193,190-195,191-195,191-196 and 194-199. Ovalbumin (OVA) -conjugated synthetic gp46 peptides containing these neutralization epitopes, amino acids 190-199 (pep190-199) and pep180-204, but not pep185-194 or pep194-203, could give rise to HTLV-I neutralizing antibody responses in rabbits. These immune or non-immune rabbits were then challenged with HTLV-I by i. v. inoculation with 5x10^7 live HTLV-I producer ILT-8M2 cells. By a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, it was revealed that HTLV-I provirus was detected in PBL from non-immune and pep288-312-immunized rabbits, whereas the provirus was not detected in PBL from the prp190-199 and pep180-204-immunized rabbits over an extended period. These results suggest that the induction of anti-gp46 neutralizing antibody responses by immunization with synthetic peptides has the potential to protect animals against HTLV-I infection in vivo.
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