Identification and preparation of epitopes on antigens and allergens on the basis of hydrophilicity

Claim 1

A method of synthesizing a peptide comprising a sequence of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the antigenic or allergenic determinant on an antigenic or allergenic protein on the basis of hydrophilicity which method comprises: (a) determining the amino acid sequence of said antigen or allergen; (b) assigning relative hydrophilicity values to each sequenced amino acid on a basis selected as follows: arginine, 3.0; aspartic acid, 3.0±1.0; glutamic acid; 3.0±1.0; lysine, 3.0; serine, 0.3; asparagine, 0.2; glutamine 0.2; glycine, 0.0; proline -0.5±1.0; threonine, -0.4; alanine, -0.5; histidine, -0.5; cysteine -1.0; methionine, -1.3; valine, -1.5; isoleucine, -1.8; leucine, -1.8; tyrosine, -2.3; phenylalanine, -2.5; and tryptophan, -3.4; (c) determining the repetitive local average of hydrophilicity values on the basis of said assigned values of each residue of at least six amino acids sequentially along said antigen or allergen; (d) comparing said repetitive local averages and selecting the peptide of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the greatest local average hydrophilicity; (e) synthesizing a peptide comprising said selected peptide of at least six amino acid residues.

Claim 2

A method of synthesizing a peptide comprising a sequence of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the antigenic or allergenic determinant on an antigenic or allergenic protein on the basis of hydrophilicity which method comprises: (a) determining the amino acid sequence of said antigen or allergen; (b) assigning relative hydrophilicity values to each sequenced amino acid on a basis selected as follows: arginine, 3.0; aspartic acid, 3.0±1.0; glutamic acid; 3.0±1.0; lysine, 3.0; serine, 0.3; asparagine, 0.2; glutamine 0.2; glycine, 0.0; proline -0.5±1.0; threonine, -0.4; alanine, -0.5; histidine, -0.5; cysteine -1.0; methionine, -1.3; valine, -1.5; isoleucine, -1.8; leucine, -1.8; tyrosine, -2.3; phenylalanine, -2.5; and tryptophan, -3.4; (c) determining the repetitive local average of hydrophilicity values on the basis of said assigned values of each residue of at least six amino acids sequentially along said antigen or allergen; (d) comparing said repetitive local averages and selecting the peptide of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the greatest local average hydrophilicity; (e) synthesizing a peptide comprising said selected peptide of at least six amino acid residues.

Claim 3

A method of synthesizing a peptide comprising a sequence of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the antigenic or allergenic determinant on an antigenic or allergenic protein on the basis of hydrophilicity which method comprises: (a) determining the amino acid sequence of said antigen or allergen; (b) assigning relative hydrophilicity values to each sequenced amino acid on a basis selected as follows: arginine, 3.0; aspartic acid, 3.0±1.0; glutamic acid, 3.0±1.0; lysine, 3.0; serine, 0.3; asparagine, 0.2; glutamine 0.2; glycine, 0.0; proline -0.5±1.0; threonine, -0.4; alanine, -0.5; histidine, -0.5; cysteine, -1.0; methionine -1.3; valine, -1.5; isoleuine, -1.8; leucine, -1.8; tyrosine, -2.3; phenylalanine, -2.5; and tryptophan, -3.4; (c) determining the repetitive local average of hydrophilicity values on the basis of said assigned valves of each residue of at least six amino acids sequentially along said antigen or allergen; (d) comparing said repetitive local averages and selecting the peptide of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the second greatest local average hydrophilicity; (e) synthesizing a peptide comprising said selected peptide of at least six amino acid residues.

Claim 4

A method of synthesizing a peptide comprising a sequence of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the antigenic or allergenic determinant on an antigenic or allergenic protein on the basis of hydrophilicity which method comprises: (a) determining the amino acid sequence of said antigen or allergen; (b) assigning relative hydrophilicity values to each sequenced amino acid on a basis selected as follows: arginine, 3.0; aspartic acid, 3.0±1.0; glutamic acid, 3.0±1.0; lysine, 3.0; serine, 0.3; asparagine, 0.2; glutamine 0.2; glycine, 0.0; proline -0.5±1.0; threonine, -0.4; alanine, -0.5; histidine, -0.5; cysteine, -1.0; methionine -1.3; valine, -1.5; isoleuine, -1.8; leucine, -1.8; tyrosine, -2.3; phenylalanine, -2.5; and tryptophan, -3.4; (c) determining the repetitive local average of hydrophilicity values on the basis of said assigned valves of each residue of at least six amino acids sequentially along said antigen or allergen; (d) comparing said repetitive local averages and selecting the peptide of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the second greatest local average hydrophilicity; (e) synthesizing a peptide comprising said selected peptide of at least six amino acid residues.

Claim 5

A method of synthesizing a peptide comprising a sequence of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the antigenic or allergenic determinant on an antigenic or allergenic protein on the basis of hydrophilicity which method comprises: (a) determining the amino acid sequence of said antigen or allergen; (b) assigning relative hydrophilicity values to each sequenced amino acid on a basis selected as follows: arginine, 3.0; aspartic acid, 3.0±1.0; glutamic acid, 3.0±1.0; lysine, 3.0; serine, 0.3; asparagine, 0.2; glutamine 0.2; glycine, 0.0; proline -0.5±1.0; threonine, -0.4; alanine, -0.5; histidine, -0.5; cysteine -1.0; methionine -1.3; valine, -1.5; isoleucine, -1.8; leucine, -1.8; tyrosine, -2.3; phenylalanine, -2.5; and tryptophan, -3.4; (c) determining the repetitive local average of hydrophilicity values on the basis of said assigned valves of each residue of at least six amino acids sequentially along said antigen or allergen; (d) comparing said repetitive local averages and selecting the peptide of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the third greatest local average hydrophilicity; (e) synthesizing a peptide comprising said selected peptide of at least six amino acid residues.

Claim 6

A method of synthesizing a peptide comprising a sequence of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the antigenic or allergenic determinant on an antigenic or allergenic protein on the basis of hydrophilicity which method comprises: (a) determining the amino acid sequence of said antigen or allergen; (b) assigning relative hydrophilicity values to each sequenced amino acid on a basis selected as follows: arginine, 3.0; aspartic acid, 3.0±1.0; glutamic acid, 3.0±1.0; lysine, 3.0; serine, 0.3; asparagine, 0.2; glutamine 0.2; glycine, 0.0; proline -0.5±1.0; threonine, -0.4; alanine, -0.5; histidine, -0.5; cysteine -1.0; methionine -1.3; valine, -1.5; isoleucine, -1.8; leucine, -1.8; tyrosine, -2.3; phenylalanine, -2.5; and tryptophan, -3.4; (c) determining the repetitive local average of hydrophilicity values on the basis of said assigned valves of each residue of at least six amino acids sequentially along said antigen or allergen; (d) comparing said repetitive local averages and selecting the peptide of at least six amino acid residues corresponding to the third greatest local average hydrophilicity; (e) synthesizing a peptide comprising said selected peptide of at least six amino acid residues.