title: T-cell epitope mapping of the three most abundant extracellular proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in outbred guinea pigs.
abstract: The three most abundant extracellular proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the 30-, 32-, and 16-kDa major extracellular proteins, are particularly promising vaccine candidates. We have mapped T-cell epitopes of these three proteins in outbred guinea pigs by immunizing the animals with each protein and assaying splenic lymphocyte proliferation against a series of overlapping synthetic peptides covering the entire length of the mature proteins. The 30-kDa protein contained nine immunodominant epitopes, the 32-kDa protein contained two immunodominant epitopes, and the 16-kDa protein contained a highly immunodominant region at its N terminus. The immunodominant epitopes of the 30- and 32-kDa proteins in outbred guinea pigs were frequently identified in healthy purified-protein-derivative-positive or BCG-vaccinated individuals in previous studies. The immunodominant epitopes of these major extracellular proteins have potential utility in an epitope-based vaccine against tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095-1688, USA.
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Horwitz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000276:immunology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes