title: Epitopes recognized by human T lymphocytes on malaria circumsporozoite protein.
abstract: The circumsporozoite protein of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum contains regions of nonrepetitive sequences which are predicted to be T cell recognition sites. We synthesized peptides corresponding to three of these regions, and tested their ability to stimulate proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes from donors living in a malaria-endemic area, or from nonimmune donors. Cells from 15 out of 22 donors (including 4 of 6 nonimmune individuals) were stimulated by one or more of the peptides. T cell clones specific for one of the peptides were obtained and shown to recognize the native protein purified from sporozoites. These data help to identify T cell epitopes which could be incorporated into a malaria vaccine.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000939:Epitopes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan