IMMUNOLOGICAL DOMAINS OF HEPATITIS DELTA VIRUS ANTIGEN

摘要

In an effort to map the antigenic domains of HDAg, 209 overlapping hexapeptides, spanning the entire 214 amino acid residues of the protein, were synthesized on polyethylene pins and probed by ELISA with sera containing high titers of anti-HD antibodies. Domains recognized by antibodies present in serum from human chronic carriers of this virus included residues 2-7, 63-74, 86-91, 94-100, 159-172, 174-195 and 197-207. Oligopeptides 15 to 29 residues in length and representing epitopes of HDAg found to be dominant in man (residues 2-17, 156-184 and 197-211) were synthesized in bulk and found to possess significant antigenic activity by microtiter ELISA. The reacativity of the 197-211 peptide with human sera confirms that the entire 214 amino acids of HDAg are expressed during infection in vivo. The aforementioned peptides are useful as diagnostic reagents and as vaccines.