Epitopes immediately below the base of the V3 loop of gp120 as targets for the initial autologous neutralizing antibody response in two HIV-1 subtype B-infected individuals.

ABSTRACT: Epitopes that drive the initial autologous neutralizing antibody response in HIV-1-infected individuals could provide insights for vaccine design. Although highly strain specific, these epitopes are immunogenic, vulnerable to antibody attack on infectious virus, and could be involved in the ontogeny of broadly neutralizing antibody responses. To delineate such epitopes, we used site-directed mutagenesis, autologous plasma samples, and autologous monoclonal antibodies to map the amino acid changes that led to escape from the initial autologous neutralizing antibody response in two HIV-1 subtype B-infected individuals. Additional mapping of the epitopes was accomplished by using alanine scanning mutagenesis. Escape in the two individuals occurred by different pathways, but the responses in b

SUBMITTER: Tang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3165744 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature