title: Identification of epitopes within the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium vivax recognized by murine T lymphocytes.
abstract: The murine cellular immune response to the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium vivax was characterized using five synthetic peptides, some of which we identified as corresponding to T cell epitopes. The peptides P308-320, P344-355 and P353-364 were immunogenic, inducing a genetically restricted proliferative response, due to the activation of CD4+ T cells. The peptide P308-320 was recognized only by the lymphocytes of B10 (H-2b) mice. The other two peptides were recognized by primed lymphocytes of H-2a and H-2k mice. Of interest was the finding that one of these peptides, P353-364, induced a proliferative response of a large percentage of immune outbred Swiss mice. Our data provide evidence that, at least in mice, there is recognition of multiple T cell epitopes within the major surface antigen of P. vivax sporozoites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Molecular Parasitology, New York University, New York 10010.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nakaie
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000939:Epitopes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan