title: A minimal and optimal cytotoxic T cell epitope within hepatitis C virus nucleoprotein.
abstract: Amino acid residues 81-100 of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleoprotein contain a cytotoxic T cell epitope that is recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in association with human leukocyte antigen B44. With panels of truncated and overlapping peptides, the minimal and optimal epitope recognized by CTLs was shown to be a 9-mer peptide (residues 88-96). The peptide can stimulate effectively CTLs that are able to recognize endogenously synthesized and processed HCV nucleoprotein.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiroishi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imawari
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D059948:HLA-B44 Antigen; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000821:virology; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D059948:HLA-B44 Antigen; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus