Design of specific immunogens using filamentous phage as the carrier.

Earlier, we developed an expression vector allowing exposure of short peptides on the surface of bacteriophage M13. It was used to obtain a recombinant phage carrying an antigenic determinant of HIV1 p17 Gag protein. Immunoglobulin elicited by immunizing rabbits with the phage reacted with the 17-kDa core protein of the virus and with its polyprotein precursor, p55, on Western blots of HIV1 viral proteins. The results of present experiments may be useful in vaccine development.