Polyoma T-antigen-derived synthetic peptides induce polyoma-virus-specific macrophage migration inhibition

Synthetic peptides, 2 derived from the sequence common to small, middle and large T-antigen, and I derived from the sequence unique for middle T, activated lymphocytes from polyoma-virus-immunized, but not from control mice, to release the lymphokine migration inhibitory factor (MIF). In contrast, purified, bacterially grown, full-length small T-antigen and a middle T-antigen mutant Py 1387T MT (lacking 37 C-terminal amino acids) did not induce lymphokine release, although they were capable of inducing an anti-polyoma TSTA response in vivo.