Synthetic Peptides as Antigens

Front Cover

Synthetic Peptides as Antigens

Copyright Page

Contents

Acknowledgements

List of abbreviations

Chapter 1. Molecular dissection of protein antigens and the prediction of epitopes

1.1. Introduction

1.2. Definition of antigenicity and the concept of epitope

1.3. Types of epitopes

1.4. Methods used for localizing epitopes

1.5. The antigenic structure of model proteins

1.6. Antigenicity prediction

1.7. T-cell epitopes

Chapter 2. Peptide-carrier conjugation

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Choice of carrier

2.3. Optimal peptide density on carrier protein

2.4. Point of attachment on peptide chain

2.5. Chemical coupling

2.6. Photochemical coupling

2.7. Coupling of peptides to liposomes

2.8. Coupling of peptides to solid supports

2.9. Determination of peptide: carrier ratio of conjugates

2.10. Peptide derivatization

Chapter 3. Immunization with peptides

3.1. Introduction

3.2. The choice of animal

3.3. The immunogen

3.4. The adjuvant

3.5. The route of injection

3.6. Specific immunization protocols

3.7. Concluding remarks

Chapter 4. Peptide immunoassays

4.1. Introduction

4.2. Types of solid-phase immunoassays

4.3. Solid-phase immunoassay procedures

4.4. Dot immunobinding assay

4.5. Spotscan assay

4.6. Biosensor assays

4.7. Measurement of affinity constants

4.8. Monitoring of the immune response to peptides

Chapter 5. Use of antipeptide antibodies in molecular and cellular biology

5.1. Detection of gene products with antipeptide antibodies

5.2. Use of antipeptide antibodies in immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry

Chapter 6. The use of peptides for diagnosing viral infections

6.1. Mimicry of viral epitopes with synthetic peptides

6.2. Synthetic peptides for viral diagnosis

6.3. Peptide-based immunoassays

Chapter 7. Peptides in diagnosis of autoimmune diseases

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Methods of detection and quantification of autoantibodies with synthetic peptides

7.3. Specific examples of autoepitope mapping data

7.4. Prediction of epitopes recognized by autoantibodies

7.5. Peptides mimicking sites of post-translational modification recognized by autoantibodies

7.6. Concluding remarks

Chapter 8. Synthetic peptides as vaccines

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Antiviral vaccines

8.4. Vaccines against parasites

8.5. Are molecular design strategies applicable to the development of synthetic vaccines?

8.6. Empirical discovery rather than molecular design will bring about new synthetic vaccines

References

Subject Index