FIG. 1.

Peptide design for evaluation of epitopes of the L. pifanoi P-4 amastigote protein. Twenty-one peptides were synthesized based on the sequence of the native P-4 protein; each peptide was 15 amino acids in length and overlapped its neighboring peptides by 5 amino acids. In addition, peptides 22 and 23 were synthesized based on computer-based prediction of potential for MHC class II binding (14). Groups of three overlapping peptides employed are indicated; in addition, peptides 22 and 23 were tested together.