Three regions of HIV-1 gp160 contain clusters of immunodominant CTL epitopes.
HIV-1 infection stimulates a strong CTL response that coincides with resolution of viremia in acute infection and declines with development of opportunistic infections. Recognition of HIV gp160 by PBMC-derived T cell lines from 20 HIV-infected subjects is dominated by the response to a small number of peptide epitopes. Overlapping CTL epitopes restricted by multiple MHC Class I elements were identified in 3 relatively conserved regions of gp160 (amino acids 49-68, 591-600 and 844-863). CTL from five of 20 subjects recognized three overlapping immunodominant epitopes in the 49-68 a.a. region restricted by A24, B38, and B55. CTL from four subjects recognized at least three distinct epitopes in a.a 591-600 in the context of A24, B8, B14, and B27. CTL from seven subjects recognized epitopes within a.a. 844-863 restricted by A30, B7, B8 and B35.
Shankar
P
P
Center for Blood Research, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Fabry
J A
JA
Fong
D M
DM
Lieberman
J
J
D002460:Cell Line; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160 / Q000276:immunology*; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000276:immunology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D009842:Oligopeptides