[Guest peptide insertions into the surface loops of alkaline phosphatase].

The paper presents the description of the experiments in line with the rational concept for the "safe" insertion of guest polypeptides into the alkaline phosphatase with the minimal influence of the inserts on the enzymatic activity of the protein. Several approaches are described in the paper for the surface loop length estimation and two loops were used as the sites for guest peptides introduction by gene engineering technique. The experiments clearly demonstrate that insertions of several peptides after Ala218 of alkaline phosphatase (the site was selected by loop length analysis) do not block the activity of the enzyme.

[Experimental study of candidate vaccines against variable or quasi-species pathogenes: multiepitopic synthetic peptide antigenes and new receptor-guiding adjuvants].

The short multiepitopic synthetic peptides from the sequences of hypervariable area of V3-loope of gp120 of HIV don't induce anti-peptides antibodies production in mice themselves. We prepared the potent immunogen by noncovalent conjugations of the multitude peptides with pure peptidoglycans from cell wall of Salmonella typhi. The sera from immunized mice have the anti-peptides antibody titers (3-5) x 10(5) in ELISA, as high as Freund's adjuvant is of use.

[TEpredict: software for T-cell epitope prediction].

A program named TEpredict was developed for T-cell epitope prediction. Original models for T-cell epitope prediction were constructed by means of Partial Least Squares regression method on the basis of data, extracted from the IEDB (Immune Epitope Database)--the most complete resource of experimental peptide-MHC binding data known to date. TEpredict is also able to predict proteasomal processing of protein antigens, and the ability of produced oligopeptides to bind to TAP (Tansporters Associated with Processing).

[Searching for local similarities between HIV-1 and human proteins. Application to vaccines].

A method for identification of fragments with a high local similarity to human proteins within potentially immunopathogenic regions of HIV-1 proteins was developed. The method is based on the use of an original matrix of antigenic similarity of amino acids. The regions, whose fragments are frequent in human proteins, and regions, exhibiting a high similarity to the proteins responsible for important physiological functions, were identified in HIV-1 proteins.

[Frequency of occurrence of Hepatitis C virus markers and risk factors among hospital personnel in the Novosibirsk region].

The occurrence of markers, the genotypic variety of isolates and the profile of risk factors with respect to viral hepatitis C among 629 employees of the Regional Clinical Hospital (RCH) in Novosibirsk and 1,020 employees of the Central District Hospital (CDH) in Iskitim were studied in a cross-sectional investigation. The occurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers was 5.1% in RCH and 2.

[Preparation and selection of monoclonal antibodies for detecting hepatitis B surface antigen in blood sera].

HV monoclonal antibodies (MAb) were produced in order to improve the quality of HBsAg detection and their specific characteristics were compared with those of other MAbs. MAbs were characterized by asymmetric interactions with the antigen when used as first or second antibodies. The reactivity of a panel of HV and X MAb to ad and ay subtypes was studied by enzyme immunoassay.

[Markers of hepatitis C and its various genotypes in patients from Novosibirsk].

Study of the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers in 153 patients of Municipal Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Novosibirsk revealed anti-HCV in 88.2% patients and viral RNA in 69.

[Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6): current status].

Molecular, biological, and immunological studies on the recently identified human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) suggest that the virus is involved in the etiology of at least several lymphoproliferative diseases. Furthermore, HHV-6 may be an important cofactor in the pathogenesis of several other diseases, including cervical carcinoma, oral carcinoma, multiple sclerosis, and HIV infection. Analyzing the data available in the literature shows it necessary to conduct systematic investigations and to emphasize the importance of the problem for national public health.

[Development of sera reference panels for quality control of ELISA diagnostic kits in Russia].

In the past 5 years, the investigators of the "VECTOR" SRB VB and the L.A. Tarasevich State Institute of Standardization and Control of Medical Biological Preparations have jointly designed sera reference panels containing anti-HIV-1 IgG, anti-HCV IgG, and anti-HAV IgM which have been approved as national standard panels.

[Synthesis of insulin fragments and study of their physicochemical and immunological properties].

A two-chain peptide was predicted as a receptor binding site of insulin on the basis of theoretical conformational analysis. This dimeric peptide, consisting of the C-terminal A18-A21 tetrapeptide of the insulin A-chain and the C-terminal B17-B30 tetradecapeptide of the insulin B-chain connected with a disulfide bridge, was synthesized along with the C-terminal nonadecapeptide. The analysis of the aggregation state of human insulin and the synthesized linear and dimeric peptides was performed by the small-angle X-ray scattering method.

[Design of reference panels of serum for testing the quality of HIV antibody tests in practical laboratories].

The authors define the scientific basis for development of panels of reference sera intended for effective control of the quality of enzyme immunoassay of HIV antibody screening. Special attention was paid to developing the technology of preparing standards highly stable serum samples with a preset concentration of anti-HIV antibodies. The resultant panel of reference sera was tried in screening for anti-HIV antibodies by enzyme immunoassay at seven diagnostic laboratories.

[Constructing the reference panel of sera with standard level of IgG-antibodies].

Fundamentals of designing reference panels of sera for effective control of commercial test systems and immunoblotting, intended for detecting antiviral antibodies, have been developed. Reference low-titer panels of anti-IgG antibodies to HIV-a and hepatitis C virus have been designed. A reference panel contains diluted reactive sera with a standard level of IgG antibodies and native sera with undetectable level of antibodies to the major viral antigens from risk group subjects.

[Ability of a recombinant protein containing fragment 114-122 of myelin basic protein, to cause allergic encephalomyelitis in guinea pigs].

Four genetic constructions have been designed, capable of producing in E. coli the hybrid beta-galactosidases containing the encephalitogenic determinant 114-122 of myelin basic protein. The ability of chromatography-purified proteins to cause allergic encephalomyelitis in guinea pigs has been investigated.

[Antigenic determinants of proteins. The humoral immune response].

There exist two opposing points of view on the organization of antigenic determinants of proteins: 1) the determinants are stringently predetermined regions of the protein molecule; 2) all the surface of the protein globule is potentially antigenic, and the immune response is generated occasionally in every individual, although some sites of the protein surface could be preferable for eliciting the immune response. In this work, taking into account the results of recent investigations, we propose some reconciliation: a correlation between the rigidity of the protein architecture and the antigenicity of the particular sites of the antigen molecule. Some general principles of the antigenic determinants of proteins are formulated.

[Monoclonal antibodies cross-reacting with the tick-borne encephalitis virus and with the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus].

Employment of radioimmunoassay led to the demonstration of serological crossing between tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus. Using hybridoma technology, three hybridomas were produced secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAb) cross-reacting with these two viruses. With MAb, the epitope of binding of these antibodies was shown to be located on protein E of TBE virus and protein E1 of VEE virus.

[Correlation of antigenic properties of influenza viruses of the H3N2 subtype with changes in the amino acid sequence of hemagglutinins].

The effect of amino acid substitutions within the antigenic sites, the residues close to these sites, and the other parts of the hemagglutinin molecule on cross-reactions between influenza subtype H3N2 virus strains in hemagglutination-inhibition tests are considered. Previously we reported a method for calculation of the values of immunochemical cross-reactions between the homologous proteins based on the structural data. On this basis, a method for calculation of the titers of cross-reactions of influenza viruses in hemagglutination-inhibition tests is proposed.

[A method of calculatiing immunochemical cross-reactions between homologous proteins].

The effects of amino acid substitutions within the antigenic sites, within the residues close to these sites and within other parts of the molecule on the cross-reaction with the antisera to homologous protein were considered. The method for calculus the values of cross-reactions, based on using primary structures data, X-ray coordinate of one of the homologues and the locations of the antigenic sites is proposed. The values obtained by this method for the cross-reactions of ten myoglobins from various species with antisperm-whale myoglobin sera have a good correlation with the known experimental data.