Synthesis of a Trimeric gpi 20 Epitope Mimic Conjugated to a T-Helper Peptide To Improve Antigenicity

摘要

A fully synthetic trivalent mimotope of gp 120 conjugated to pan allelic HLA DR binding epitope was prepared using solid-phase peptide synthesis and optimized copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The methodology efficiently provides chemically uniform heteromulti-meric peptide constructs with enhanced binding, avidity, and specificity toward an established HIV-neutralizing human antibody, MAb bl2. The versatile synthetic strategy serves as a powerful platform for the development of synthetic peptides as potential HIV-1 vaccine candidates.