Polyvalent human immunodeficiency virus synthetic immunogen comprised of envelope gp120 T helper cell sites and B cell neutralization epitopes.

In previous studies, we have used antisera raised to envelope (env)-gene-encoded synthetic peptides to identify a region of (HIV) glycoprotein (gp) 120 env protein designated SP10 that contains a type-specific neutralizing determinant. To develop a polyvalent, synthetic peptide inoculum that can evoke both neutralizing antibodies and T cell proliferative responses to more than one HIV isolate, synthetic peptides containing type-specific neutralizing determinants of gp120 from HIV isolates HTLV-IIIB (IIIB), HTLV-IIIMN (MN) and HTLV-IIIRF (RF) were coupled to a 16 amino acid T cell epitope (T1) of HIV-IIIB gp120 and used to immunize goats. Goat antisera to each T1-SP10 peptide derived from the SP10 region of gp120 of IIIB, MN, and RF neutralized HIV isolates IIIB, MN and RF in a type-specific manner. Moreover, peripheral blood T cells from immunized goats also proliferated in a type-specific manner to peptides derived from gp120 of IIIB, MN, and RF. When combined in a trivalent inoculum, T1-SP10 peptides from HIV-1 isolates IIIB, MN, and RF evoked a high titered neutralizing antibody response to isolates IIIB, MN, and RF in goats and as well induced immune T cells to undergo blast transformation in the presence of peptides derived from gp120 of all three HIV isolates. The T1 portion of the T1-SP10 construct was shown to induce a B cell antibody response against determinants within the T1 peptide in addition to inducing T cell proliferative responses in immune goat T cells. Moreover, the SP10 portion of the T1-SP10 constructs not only induced B cell antibody production but also induced type-specific T cell proliferative responses localized to the C-terminal variable sequences of the SP10 peptides. Finally, the T1-SP10 peptide construct induced memory T cell proliferative responses to native gp120 env protein. Thus, combinations of homologous SP10 region synthetic peptides containing type-specific neutralizing determinants and T cell epitopes of HIV gp120 may be useful in man to elicit high titered neutralizing B cell responses and, as well, T cell responses to more than one HIV isolate.