Cloning of human T cells specific for measles virus haemagglutinin and nucleocapsid.
T cell lines specific for measles virus (MV) were generated from blood of two DR1/DR2 heterozygous healthy donors with a history of past measles infection. The antigenic specificity of 66 T cell clones derived from the lines was studied in a blastogenic assay using whole measles virus and two purified virus components, haemagglutinin and nucleocapsid. Thirty-nine of the clones were specific for one of the two purified antigens. None of the seven synthetic peptides covering 20% of the MV haemagglutinin amino acid sequence stimulated T cell clones with haemagglutinin specificity. Responsiveness of the majority of the clones were restricted by HLA-D/DR antigens, although two clones were isolated that responded only to MV antigens presented by autologous cells. Ten of 11 clones recognizing the nucleocapsid antigen were DR1-restricted, while the haemagglutinin antigen and whole measles virions were recognized more often in association with the DR2 antigen. These results indicate that much of the MV-specific memory T cell response is specific for the haemagglutinin and nucleocapsid virus antigens, with the DR antigen being the main restriction element involved.
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Oulu, Finland.
J
J
Ilonen
M J
MJ
Mäkelä
B
B
Ziola
A A
AA
Salmi
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins