Table 1.

B-cell epitopes are (or contain) sequences with zero/low-similarity to the host proteome

Antigen	Aa position	Epitope sequencea	Matchesb	Proteomec	Ref.
Prostate specific antigen	27–31	GGWEC	0	M	31
Melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1	254–265	lYWFTLy	0	H	32
Osteopontin	31–37	qlYNKYP	0	M	33
Coagulation factor VIII	Mimotope	npveNMMDRdsq	1	H	34
	Mimotope	qspWQTWFtral	1	H	34
Adenosine A2a receptor	172–178	lfEDVVP	4	M	35
Collagen type IV, α3chain	24–38	FTRHSqttANPSCpe	0	R	36
Receptor tyr kinase-like	518–525	reEFRHEa	1, 2	M	37
CXCR1 chemokine	Mimotope	SFIWDf	3	M	38
	Mimotope	SAMWDf	0	M	38
	Mimotope	TNMWDf	0	M	38
	Mimotope	iTMWDF	1	M	38
	Mimotope	SDWWDf	0	M	38
CXCR2 chemokine	Mimotope	FWDDFw	1	M	38
	Mimotope	LWDDFw	2	M	38
	Mimotope	mWNDFW	0	M	38
	Mimotope	FWLDFw	0	M	38
DNA	Mimotope	DWEYSvwlsn	0	M	39
Bla g 4 allergen	118–152	cpaaanGHVIYvqlrltWRRFHpklgdkeMIQHYT	2, 2, 0	H	40
Blo t 12 isoallergen	30–49	htepddHHEKPtTQCTHeet	0, 0	H	41
	73–92	teeTHHSDdlivHEGGKtyh	0, 2	H	41
	111–130	iicsksgslWYITVmPCSIG	0, 1	H	41
HIV-1 envelope gp41	633–639	iWNNMTw	0	H	42
			0	M	42
HIV-1 envelope gp41	633–642	iwnnMTWMQw	0	H	42
			0	M	42
HIV-1 gp41	675–681	elDKWAS	1	M	43
HIV envelope gp41	670–677	wNWFDItn	0	M	44
Porcine reproductive-respi ratory syndrome virus gp5	152–156	rLYRWR	0	M	45
	169–178	eGHLIDlkrv	4	M	45
	196–200	QWGRL	1	M	45
	196–200	QWGRP	0	M	45
Rabies virus glycoprotein	Mimotope	kRDSTW	2	H	46
	Mimotope	kYLWSK	0	H	46
	Mimotope	kYWLSR	2	H	46
	Mimotope	kYWWSK	0	H	46
	Mimotope	kYAWSR	0	H	46
	Mimotope	kYSMSK	0	H	46
Japanese encephalitis virus NS1 protein	146–150	EHARW	1	M	47
Influenza A H5N1 HA	193–199	qNPTTYi	1	M	48
Influenza A H5N1 HA	121/164d	sWS/YNN	0	H	49
Influenza A fusion peptide HA2 glycopolypeptide		glfgAIAGF	1	M	50
K. pneumoniae adhesin	Mimotope	qktlakSTYMSa	0	M	51
Meningococcal factor H-binding protein	25/57d	DHK/YGn	1	M	52

The analysis was restricted to reports published in 2009 in PubMed.

^aLow similarity 5-mer given in capital letters. Based on the minimum length of an immune unit of 5–6 amino acids,¹⁷ each epitope has been dissected into pentapeptide sequences. The pentapeptides overlapped by four residues, i.e., were shifted by one amino acid. Then, each pentapeptide was analyzed for the number of occurrences in the host proteome using described methodologies.²⁰–³¹ Any occurrence is called a match. A pentapeptide with up to five perfect matches to the host proteome was considered a low-similarity sequence.

^bThe number of matches refers to the low-similarity 5-mer in capital letters.

^cHost proteome: H, human; M, murine; R, rat.

^dDiscontinuous.