title: Analysis of T helper cell response to glycoprotein H (gpUL75) of human cytomegalovirus: evidence for strain-specific T cell determinants.
abstract: The proliferative response of helper T cells against glycoprotein H (gH; gpUL75) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was determined in T cell lines from 5 healthy HCMV-seropositive donors. A differential response in two lines was noted when gH from strain AD169 or Towne was used as antigen. T cell-reactive domains between aa 15 and 510 were identified using beta-galactosidase fusion proteins containing overlapping fragments of gH, and they were confirmed with synthetic peptides as stimulating antigen. T cell proliferation was observed with antigens containing aa 34-51, 111-142, 284-302, 324-342, and 454-510 of gH. None of the determinants stimulated all donors. The T cell epitope defined by aa 34-51 is located in close proximity to a strain-specific dominant B cell epitope; however, no strain dependence for this T cell determinant was observed. In contrast, the dominant T cell response against aa 284-302, which was observed in three T cell lines, was strain specific.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beninga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalbacher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mach
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C071440:glycoprotein H, Cytomegalovirus; C499358:glycoprotein H, Human cytomegalovirus; D001616:beta-Galactosidase