Syntheses of four peptides from the immunodominant region of hepatitis C viral pathogens using PS-TTEGDA support for the investigation of HCV infection in human blood

Four peptides were designed and synthesized on a highly solvating copolymer of tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate cross-linked polystyrene (PS-TTEGDA) support with very high purity and yield. The polymer was synthesized in various cross-linking densities (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10%) using radical aqueous suspension polymerization. Four per cent PS-TTEGDA resin showed rigidity and mechanical characteristics comparable with those of divinylbenzene cross-linked polystyrene (PS-DVB) support. Swelling and solvation characteristics of PS-TTEGDA were much higher than PS-DVB support in all solvents used in solid-phase peptide synthesis. Forty-eight hour treatment of the support with neat trifluoroacetic acid did not show any change in its infrared spectra. PS-TTEGDA could be functionalized with chloromethyl, aminomethyl and hydroxymethyl functional groups under various controlled conditions. Synthetic utility of the support was demonstrated by the synthesis of four peptides selected from the envelope and nonstructural protein region of the prototype hepatitis C virus (HCV). These peptides were later used successfully to develop a peptide-based immunoassay (PBEIA) for the detection of HCV immunity. Peptides designed from the NS1 and NS4 protein regions were found to be very promising for the development of a new diagnostic kit to detect HCV infection in human blood. Peptide purity was tested by RP-FPLC and the peptide identity was confirmed by amino acid analysis