Group-specific, major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted cytotoxic responses to human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) envelope proteins by cloned peripheral blood T cells from an HIV-1-infected individual.
Freshly separated unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cloned cell lines from a healthy human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1)-seropositive individual were examined for cytotoxic responses to HIV proteins expressed by recombinant vaccinia viruses. It was found that freshly isolated PBMC recognize variant envelope proteins of HIV-1 but not a more distantly related envelope protein derived from the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac). Although the effector cells were predominantly CD8+, both MHC-matched and -unmatched target cells were lysed. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones were found to lyse cells expressing HIV-1 envelope or reverse transcriptase. In contrast to the cytotoxic response detected with PBMC, the cloned CTLs were major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I restricted. Our finding that a cloned CTL line lysed cells expressing highly divergent HIV envelopes strongly suggested that a conserved epitope was recognized. Identification of these shared epitopes may assist in designing a vaccine for HIV-1 that could stimulate MHC-restricted cytotoxic responses.
Koenig
S
S
Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Earl
P
P
Powell
D
D
Pantaleo
G
G
Merli
S
S
Moss
B
B
Fauci
A S
AS
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000276:immunology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase