Comparative immunogenicity of gp120-derived proteins and their induction of anti-V3 loop region antibodies

D M Klinman1, K S Steimer, J Conover

  • 1Division of Virology, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD 20892.

This report compares the immunogenicity of three different preparations of gp120 [the envelope glycoprotein of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virus]: (a) native, fully glycosylated gp120; (b) a nonglycosylated, denatured form of gp120; and (c) a nonglycosylated peptide representing the "immunodominant" third hypervariable region of the gp120 molecule. Results indicate that the native glycosylated form of gp120 induces a maximal anti-HIV response in which a majority of B cells bind to conformation-dependent epitopes but less than one-fifth recognize the V3 loop region.

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