title: Priming of measles virus-specific CTL responses after immunization with a CTL epitope linked to a fusogenic peptide.
abstract: In this study, the potential of the amino-terminal sequence from the F1 polypeptide responsible for the fusion of measles virus (MV) with cell membranes as a carrier system for a CTL epitope from the MV nucleoprotein was examined. The addition of the fusion sequence (FP) at either the amino or the carboxyl terminus of the CTL epitope peptide rendered it immunogenic after intraperitoneal immunization in mice. The CTLs induced were able to lyse target cells pulsed with the peptide or persistently infected with MV. After intranasal administration of a FP-CTL chimera with or without cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as an adjuvant, CTL responses to the peptide pulsed and to MV-infected target cells were detected. Responses in groups of mice where CTB was used as an adjuvant were stronger. However, intranasal administration of the CTL epitope did not induce a protective response against intracranial challenge with a neuroadapted strain of MV. These findings highlight the potential of fusion sequences as a carrier system for CTL epitopes and the potential of the intranasal route for administration of synthetic peptides representing MV sequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Partidos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vohra
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Steward
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C058314:nucleoprotein, Measles virus