title: A transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus nucleoprotein epitope elicits T helper cells that collaborate in the in vitro antibody synthesis to the three major structural viral proteins.
abstract: Four strong T cell epitopes have been identified studying the blastogenic response of lymphocytes from haplotype-defined transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) immune miniswine to sixty-one 15-mer synthetic peptides. Three of these epitopes are located on the nucleoprotein (N46, amino acids 46 to 60; N272, amino acids 272 to 286; and N321, amino acids 321 to 335), and one on the membrane protein (M196, amino acids 196 to 210). N321 peptide induced the highest T cell response and was recognized by immune miniswine lymphocytes with haplotypes dd, aa, and cc. T lymphocytes from peptide N321-immune miniswine reconstituted the in vitro synthesis of TGEV-specific antibodies by complementing CD4- TGEV-immune cells. This response was directed at least against the three major structural proteins. The synthesized antibodies specific for S protein preferentially recognized discontinuous epitopes and neutralized TGEV infectivity. These results show that peptide N321 defines a functional T helper epitope eliciting T cells capable of collaborating with B cells specific for different proteins of TGEV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Campus Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Canto Blanco, Spain.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Antón
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suñé
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Meloen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borrás-Cuesta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Enjuanes
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006239:Haplotypes; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D013552:Swine; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D005760:Transmissible gastroenteritis virus / Q000276:immunology*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D010455:Peptides; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins