title: Coronavirus induced encephalomyelitis: an immunodominant CD4(+)-T cell site on the nucleocapsid protein contributes to protection.
abstract: In this communication we present clear evidence, that the N-protein of MHV-JHM contains immunodominant CD4+ T-cell sites. These sites were recognized by the immune system of virus infected Lewis rats. In previous investigations we have shown, that CD4+ T-cell lines with specificity for defined viral proteins can be selected from diseased Lewis rats and mediate protection, if transferred to otherwise lethally infected animals. To define regions of the N-protein, which are immunodominant for the T-cell response, we employed bacterially expressed N-protein and truncated subfragments of N as an antigen. We demonstrate, that T-cells from MHV-JHM infected, diseased Lewis rats recognized with high prevalence the carboxyterminal subfragment C4-N (95 aa) and to some extent the adjacent C3-N protein. The same results were obtained with T-cells derived from rats immunized with bacterially expressed N-protein or from animals vaccinated by a stable N-protein expressing vaccinia recombinant. Finally, transfer of CD4+ line T-cells to MHV-JHM infected rats specific for C4-N mediated protection against acute disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wege
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schliephake
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Körner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flory
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wege
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines