Sequential oligopeptide carriers, SOCn, as scaffolds for the reconstitution of antigenic proteins: applications in solid phase immunoassays

• Published in: Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 761 - 769
• Main Authors: Sakarellos-Daitsiotis, Maria, Alexopoulos, Charalampos, Sakarellos, Constantinos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2004
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Antigens - chemistry; Antigens - metabolism; Drug Carriers - chemical synthesis; Drug Carriers - classification; Drug Carriers - metabolism; Epitopes - physiology; Greece; Immunoassay - methods; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligopeptides - chemical synthesis; Oligopeptides - metabolism; Peptides - chemistry; Peptides - metabolism; Greece
• ISSN: 0731-7085
• DOI: 10.1016/S0731-7085(03)00561-2

A new class of helicoid type sequential oligopeptide carriers (SOC), for anchoring antigenic epitopes, has been modeled from the repetitive Lys-Aib-Gly (SOC(n)-I) and Aib-Lys-Aib-Gly (SOC(n)-II) units aiming to the development of scaffolds with predetermined 3D structures. Conformational analysis showed that the SOC(n) carriers adopt 3(10)-helical structures, while the SOC(n)-conjugates retain their original active conformations and they interact neither to the carriers nor to each other. It is concluded that the helicoid structure of SOC(n) helps the reconstitution and/or mimicking of the native forms of the epitopes so that potent antigens are generated for developing specific, sensitive and reproducible immunoassays.