Altered peptide ligands narrow the repertoire of cellular immune responses by interfering with T-cell priming.
Variation in epitopes of infectious pathogens inhibits various effector functions of T lymphocytes through antagonism of the T-cell receptor. However, a more powerful strategy for immune evasion would be to prevent the induction of T-cell responses. We report here mutual 'interference' with the priming of human T-cell responses by a pair of naturally occurring variants of a malaria cytotoxic T-cell epitope. Interference with priming also occurs in vivo for a murine malaria T-cell epitope. Reshaping of the T-cell repertoire by such immune interference during naive T-cell induction may provide a general mechanism for observed patterns of immunodominance and persistence by many polymorphic pathogens.
Plebanski
M
M
Institute of Molecular Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK. mplebans@worf.molbiol.ox.ac.uk
Lee
E A
EA
Hannan
C M
CM
Flanagan
K L
KL
Gilbert
S C
SC
Gravenor
M B
MB
Hill
A V
AV
D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000939:Epitopes; D008024:Ligands; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan