Multiple Antigenic Peptide (MAP) Synthesis

Although some natural peptides are conjugated to large carrier proteins (e.g. KLH, BSA), they always show low immune response. When carrier proteins are insufficient or unavailable for immunization, multiple antigenic peptides (MAPs) are a popular alternative. With decades of hands-on experience in peptide synthesis and research, CD Formulation has developed specific skills and expertise that enable it to produce MAP of superior quality. Our MAP synthesis strategy is innovative and overcomes issues such as increased risk of aggregation that have been present in this type of manufacturing in the past.

What is Multiple Antigenic Peptide (MAP)?

MAP is a radially branched polymer peptide macromolecule. By adding a branched oligomycin core skeleton, the orientation of the connected epitope peptide is consistent, which exponentially increases the specific binding ability and reaction sensitivity of the peptide in unit space. The method uses the α- and ε-amino groups of lysine to form a skeleton and uses multiple peptide antigens as the outer surface layer of the branched synthetic polypeptide. MAPs with different numbers of side chains can be synthesized according to the number of lysines. Common MAPs include 2-branched peptides, 4-branched peptides, 8-branched peptides, and 16-branched peptides. MAP has a high molar ratio of peptide antigen to core molecule and a high molecular weight (compared to peptides), making it suitable for the production of high titer and high-affinity antibodies without conjugation to carrier proteins.

Fig. 1 Commonly used synthetic designs of multiple antigenic peptides (MAPs). (Joshi VG, et al., 2013)

Explore Our Custom Multiple Antigenic Peptide (MAP) Synthesis Services

At CD Formulation, our team of peptide synthesis experts has the expertise and specific skills to design and synthesize high-quality MAPs for a variety of applications based on your needs.

Our scientists are familiar with a variety of synthesis techniques, including solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), liquid-phase peptide synthesis (LPPS), and chemo-enzymatic peptide synthesis (CEPS), allowing us to select the most appropriate technology to support each individual peptide synthesis project.

Importantly, our peptide synthesis service includes systematic quality testing and verification to ensure that each batch of peptides meets your specific requirements.

The key strategies of our MAP synthesis service include:

• By selecting appropriate resins and optimizing the chemical reagents and reaction conditions used in the synthesis process, such as temperature, reaction time, and elution conditions, we can effectively reduce peptide aggregation and ensure uniform access to each branch, thereby improving coupling efficiency and yield.
• The stepwise synthesis method is used to build the peptide chain in stages while introducing side chains during the synthesis process to break the tendency of aggregation. This method can not only reduce the interaction of peptides but also improve the solubility and operability of the terminal peptide chain, further improving the success rate of synthesis.
• For the 4-branched peptide or the 8-branched peptide, we inserted 6-aminohexanoic acid between the branched peptide and the lysine amino group to increase the spatial distance between the peptides and to reduce the effect of steric hindrance on the synthesis.

Our Multiple Antigenic Peptide (MAP) Synthesis Technologies

The synthesis of MAPs is challenging because the strict spacing between the eight branches can cause the peptides to aggregate on the resin. This can result in low coupling yields and peptide loss. Our team of peptide experts can overcome these problems by preparing them through SPPS using the following two main techniques.

Divergent Synthesis

In divergent synthesis, MAPs are generated step by step from the core to the branches. Our team of peptide synthesis experts uses amino acid raw materials with protecting and blocking groups to sequentially synthesize the surfactant peptides of the desired peptide core, and remove the protecting and blocking groups under strong acid conditions to obtain the MAP product. This technology becomes cumbersome when dealing with large molecules, so this strategy is more suitable for the synthesis of smaller and homogeneous multi-antigenic peptides, such as those used for drug delivery

Convergent Synthesis

Convergent synthesis is the synthesis of branches or dendrons separately and then assembling them into complete dendrimers through a pair of specific orthogonal hydrophilic and nucleophilic groups. This technology can reduce the formation of by-products, simplify purification, and produce highly branched and diverse peptides.

Application Scopes of Multiple Antigenic Peptide (MAP)

• Vaccines: MAPs can be used to design and synthesize combinations of multiple antigenic peptides to stimulate strong and specific immune responses. By attaching different antigenic peptides to MAPs, the immunogenicity of vaccines can be effectively improved, especially when targeting complex pathogens.
• Diagnostic tools: MAPs can be used to develop diagnostic reagents to detect the presence of specific antibodies. Compared with unbranched peptides or inactivated viruses, MAPs are more suitable for detecting low-specificity antibodies, such as those produced during primary immune responses
• Antibodies: MAPs can be used to produce monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.

Peptide Manufacturing & Analytical Services

In addition to peptide synthesis capabilities, CD Formulation combines flexible GMP manufacturing facilities with cutting-edge peptide analytical knowledge to provide a full range of quality control testing services to accelerate the commercialization of your products, including:

Publication

CD Formulation's MAP synthesis services are tailored to meet the specific needs of researchers and organizations seeking high-quality peptides for drug discovery, vaccine development, diagnostics, and other scientific endeavors. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you are interested in our services. We look forward to cooperating with you.

How It Works

STEP 1

Submit a service request describing your specific research or development need.

STEP 2

We'll email you to provide your quote and confirm order details if applicable.

STEP 3

Execute the project with real-time communication, and deliver the final report promptly.