Human Immunodeficiency Virus Contains an Epitope Immunoreactive with Thymosin α1and the 30-amino Acid Synthetic p17 Group-Specific Antigen Peptide HGP-30

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1987-05, Vol.84 (9), p.2951-2955
• Main Authors: Naylor, Paul H., Naylor, Cartha W., Badamchian, Mahnaz, Wada, Seiji, Goldstein, Allan L., Wang, Su-Sun, Sun, Daisy K., Thornton, Arthur H., Sarin, Prem S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AIDS; Antibodies; Antigens; Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; HIV; Molecular weight; Monoclonal antibodies; Vaccination; Viral proteins; Viruses
• ISSN: 0027-8424
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.84.9.2951

We have reported that an antiserum prepared against thymosin α1[which shares a region of homology with the p17 protein of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated human immunodeficiency virus] effectively neutralized the AIDS virus and prevented its replication in H9 cells. Using HPLC and immunoblot analysis, we have identified from a clone B, type III human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-IIIB) extract a protein with a molecular weight of 17,000 that is immunoreactive with thymosin α1. In contrast, no immunoreactivity was found in retroviral extracts from a number of nonhuman species including feline, bovine, simian, gibbon, and murine retroviruses. Heterologous antiserum prepared against a 30-amino acid synthetic peptide analogue (HGP-30) does not cross-react with thymosin α1but does react specifically with the p17 protein of the AIDS virus in a manner identical to that seen with an HTLV-IIIB p17-specific monoclonal antibody. The demonstration that this synthetic analogue is immunogenic and that antibodies to HGP-30 crossreact not only with the synthetic peptide but also with the HTLV-IIIB p17 viral protein provides an additional, and potentially more specific, candidate for development of a synthetic peptide vaccine for AIDS. In addition, the p17 synthetic peptide (HGP-30) may prove to be useful in a diagnostic assay for the detection of AIDS virus infection in seronegative individuals.