Peptide Arrays and Pools for HIV-1 CRF Proteins

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exhibits extensive genetic diversity, including the emergence of circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), which result from recombination events between distinct viral subtypes. CRF01_AE, the first CRF to be characterized, is predominantly found in Southeast and East Asia, whereas CRF02_AG is the most prevalent strain in West and West Central Africa.(1) Characterizing subtype diversity is crucial for vaccine development, which need to elicit immune responses capable of targeting various subtypes (2).

Peptide arrays/pools are important tools in HIV research, enabling high-throughput screening of immune responses and antigen-antibody interactions. These tools help identify immunodominant epitopes, map antibody binding sites, and assess T-cell reactivity, which are key steps in vaccine and therapeutic development (3). In addition, HIV Gag and Env proteins are critical targets for these tools due to their essential roles in viral structure, replication, and immune evasion, making them ideal for studying antibody responses and T-cell immunity. To support these efforts, BEI Resources now offers peptide arrays/pools for CRF02_AG Env (HRP-20269 and HRP-20270) and CRF01_AE Gag (HRP-20267 and HRP-20268) proteins. These were generated from consensus sequences as overlapping 15-mers with 11-amino-acid offsets, covering the full-length respective proteins to facilitate broader studies on HIV immune recognition and vaccine design.

References:

1. Bbosa, N., Kaleebu, P., and Ssemwanga, D. “HIV Subtype Diversity Worldwide.” Curr. Opin. HIV AIDS. 14 (2019): 153-160.

2. Williams A., et al. “Geographic and Population Distributions of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 and HIV-2 Circulating Subtypes: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis (2010-2021).” J. Infect. Dis. 228 (2023):1583-1591. PubMed: 37592824.

3. Iaculli, D. and Ballet, S. “Discovery of Bioactive Peptides Through Peptide Scanning” J. Pept. Sci. 31 (2025): e70029. PubMed: 40347116.

Image Alt Text: Colorized transmission electron micrograph of an HIV-1 virus particle (yellow/gold) budding from the plasma membrane of an infected H9 T cell (purple/green). Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID (NIAID/CC BY 2.0)

Image Credit: Colorized transmission electron micrograph of an HIV-1 virus particle budding from the plasma membrane of an infected H9 T cell. (NIAID/CC BY 2.0)