title: T-cell-epitope mapping of the major secreted mycobacterial antigen Ag85A in tuberculosis and leprosy.
abstract: Lymphoproliferation and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) secretion in response to 28 overlapping 20-mer synthetic peptides covering the complete sequence of the mature (295-amino-acid) 85A component of the major secreted, fibronectin-binding antigen 85 complex from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG (MTAg85A) was examined by using peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from healthy tuberculin- and lepromin-positive volunteers and from patients with tuberculosis and leprosy. Peptide recognition was largely promiscuous, with a variety of human leukocyte antigen haplotypes reacting to the same peptides. PBMC from all tuberculin-positive subjects reacted to Ag85, and the majority proliferated in response to peptide 6 (amino acids 51 to 70), peptides 13, 14, and 15 (amino acids 121 to 160), or peptides 20 and 21 (amino acids 191 to 220). PBMC from tuberculosis patients demonstrated a variable reactivity to Ag85 and its peptides, and the strongest proliferation was observed against peptide 7 (amino acids 61 to 80). MTAg85A peptides were also recognized by PBMC from healthy lepromin-positive volunteers and paucibacillary leprosy patients (again in a promiscuous manner), but despite a 90% homology between the 85A proteins of M. leprae and M. tuberculosis, the peptides recognized were different. PBMC from lepromin-positive healthy contacts reacted against peptide 2 (amino acids 11 to 30), peptide 5 (amino acids 41 to 60), and peptides 25 and 26 (amino acids 241 to 270). PBMC from paucibacillary patients reacted preferentially against peptide 1 (amino acids 1 to 20) and peptide 5. Multibacillary patients were not reactive to Ag85 or the MT85A peptides. IFN-gamma production was generally detected simultaneously with positive lymphoproliferative responses, although peptide 1 mostly stimulated proliferation and peptides 27 and 28 mostly elicited an IFN-gamma response. In conclusion, regions 41 to 80 and 241 to 295 demonstrated powerful and promiscuous T-cell-stimulatory properties, resulting in proliferative responses and IFN-gamma secretion, respectively, in the majority of reactive subjects tested in this study. These results could be of value in the development of a subunit vaccine for tuberculosis and leprosy.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Launois
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeLeys
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Niang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drowart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrien
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dierckx
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cartel
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sarthou
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Van Vooren
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huygen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; C071448:antigen 85B, Mycobacterium leprae; D007371:Interferon-gamma