Recognition of human cytomegalovirus gene products by HCMV-specific cytotoxic T cells.
The antigen specificity of HCMV-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL) was investigated in healthy adult seropositive donors by analyzing the frequency of CTL precursors (CTLp) against six different HCMV-encoded proteins. HCMV-specific, CD8+ CTL clones from two donors were also characterized. Thje precursor frequency analysis showed that a major phosphoprotein of HCMV, pp65 (UL83), was the immunodominant CTL target antigen in healthy seropositive adults. The frequency of CTLp specific for different HCMV proteins ranged from 1/12,000 for pp65 to > 1/100,000 for gB (UL55), gH (UL75), pp50 (UL44), and pp28 (UL98). Characterization of the HCMV-specific CTL clones from two donors revealed that the majority of clones lysed targets expressing pp65 and that none of the clones recognized other HCMV proteins.
Boppana
S B
SB
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35233, USA. pedp052@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu
Britt
W J
WJ
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes