Identification of Kk-restricted T-cell epitope within influenza virus nucleoprotein.
In order to determine the epitope structure in peptide NP50-63, which has been reported to be the only Kk-restricted T-cell antigen within the influenza virus (A/PR/8/34) nucleoprotein, a series of 13 peptides truncated from C- and N-termini of NP50-63 were synthesized and their sensitizing activities against Kk-restricted nucleoprotein-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were examined. One of the 13 peptides, NP50-57, sensitized L929 cells at the nM level, which was 100-1000 times lower in concentration than that at which the other peptides sensitized these cells. The presence of NP50-57 in A/PR/8/34-infected L929 cells was also investigated. Acid extracts of virus-infected cells were separated on a reverse-phase HPLC column and then anion-exchange column. By both separations, only one peak of sensitizing activity against nucleoprotein-specific CTLs was observed. The position of the peak coincided with that of the elution of NP50-57. These results strongly suggest that NP50-57 is the natural epitope in the antigenic structure, NP50-63.
Department of Virology and Immunology, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsubara, Japan.
K
K
Kuroda
M
M
Nakajima
H
H
Minakata
Y
Y
Hosaka
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D002999:Clone Cells; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D000939:Epitopes; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D006183:H-2 Antigens; C068318:H-2E(k) antigen; C048842:NP protein, Influenza A virus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins