Human cytomegalovirus-specific cytotoxic T cells. Relative frequency of stage-specific CTL recognizing the 72-kD immediate early protein and glycoprotein B expressed by recombinant vaccinia viruses.
CTL are held to be an important host defense mechanism in persistent herpes-virus infections. We have therefore studied the nature and specificity of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific CTL in normal persistently infected individuals. This was achieved by using vaccinia recombinants encoding viral genes expressed at different stages of the virus replicative cycle, a structural glycoprotein gB (vac.gB) and the major 72-kD immediate early nonstructural protein (vac.IE) of HCMV, combined with limiting dilution analysis of the CTL response. In two subjects, 43 and 58% of HCMV CTL precursors (CTLp) lysed vac.IE-infected cells, in contrast to less than 6% lysing gB-infected cells. HCMV-specific CTL could also be generated by secondary in vitro stimulation with vac.gB- but not vac.IE-infected autologous fibroblasts. The high frequency of 72-kD IE protein-specific CTL suggests that this is at least a major recognition element for the HCMV-specific CTL response in asymptomatic persistently infected individuals, and CTL with this specificity may be important in maintaining the normal virus/host equilibrium.
Borysiewicz
L K
LK
Department of Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Hickling
J K
JK
Graham
S
S
Sinclair
J
J
Cranage
M P
MP
Smith
G L
GL
Sissons
J G
JG
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus