Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 22, 2026

Use of Interferon-γ Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay to Characterize Novel T-cell Epitopes of Human Papillomavirus
Published on: March 8, 2012
Hypervariable epitope constructs as a means of accounting for epitope variability
D E Anderson1, A Malley, E Benjamini
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
Epitope variability is one of the greatest obstacles to development of synthetic peptide vaccines. Based on a recently described hypervariable epitope (aa 414-434) on the envelope glycoprotein (gp130) to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac142), we have developed a novel approach to account for epitope variability. We have prepared, in a single synthesis, a cocktail of peptides, designated a hypervariable epitope construct (HEC), which collectively represent all the in vivo variability seen in an epitope. The HEC represents permutations of amino acid substitutions found in the epitope and has been able to induce antibodies with enhanced binding to native SIV and broad immunoreactivity to related epitope analogues.
Epitope variability is one of the greatest obstacles to development of synthetic peptide vaccines. Based on a recently described hypervariable epitope (aa 414-434) on the envelope glycoprotein (gp130) to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac142), we have developed a novel approach to account for epitope variability. We have prepared, in a single synthesis, a cocktail of peptides, designated a hypervariable epitope construct (HEC), which collectively represent all the in vivo variability seen in an epitope. The HEC represents permutations of amino acid substitutions found in the epitope and has been able to induce antibodies with enhanced binding to native SIV and broad immunoreactivity to related epitope analogues.
Related Concept Videos
Affinity and Avidity
Cross-reactivity
Hybridoma Technology
Hybridoma Selection
Commonly used fusion techniques — electroporation, polyethylene glycol...
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
Diversity of Antigen Receptors
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...

