We have identified an acceptor site on HIV gp120, where foreign protein sequences can be inserted while retaining the native conformation of gp120. The resulting hybrids showed dual antigenicity, normal glycosylation, and high affinity binding of the CD4 receptor. This site allows insertion of highly immunogenic proteins such as core antigen of hepatitis B virus. By combining the immunogenicity...

Verotoxin (VT)-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 was culturable on agar media after being left in water for 21 months. However, there were a number of colonies which had lost O157 O antigenicity. These colonies produced VTs, which are pathogenic to humans. These observations suggest that the immunologic methods based on O157 O antigenicity are unable to detect and isolate VT-producing E. coli ...

Four strains of influenza virus were treated with Formalin, Merthiolate, Merthiolate and Formalin, ultraviolet light, and beta-propiolactone (BPL) for 18, 48, and 72 hr. Infectivity, chicken cell agglutination (CCA), hemagglutination (HA), and antigenicity determinations were made. Except for Merthiolate, each method of inactivation was equally effective in reducing infectivity. Loss of infecti...

Influenza is responsible for up to 500,000 deaths every year, and antigenic variability represents much of its epidemiological burden. To visualize antigenic differences across many viral strains, antigenic cartography methods use multidimensional scaling on binding assay data to map influenza antigenicity onto a low-dimensional space. Analysis of such assay data ideally leads to natural cluste...

In regard to the development of allergic contact dermatitis and autosensitization dermatitis, skin protein, particularly epidermal protein is regarded to play an important role as antigen. The localization of the specific skin antigen in the epidermis has been suggested by investigations of heterologous and homologous immunization. In order to determine the antigenicity of epidermal cells, the ...