The cytotoxic T-cell response to herpes simplex virus type 1 infection of C57BL/6 mice is almost entirely directed against a single immunodominant determinant.
Many virus infections give rise to surprisingly limited T-cell responses directed to very few immunodominant determinants. We have been examining the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection. Previous studies have identified the glycoprotein B-derived peptide from residues 498 to 505 (gB(498-505)) as one of at least three determinants recognized by HSV-1-specific CTLs isolated from C57BL/6 mice. We had previously found that in vitro-derived CTLs directed to gB(498-505) show a characteristic pattern of T-cell receptor (TCR) usage, with 60% of gB(498-505)-specific CD8(+) T cells expressing BV10(+) TCR beta chains and a further 20% expressing BV8S1. In this report, we confirm that this TCR V-region bias is also reflected in the ex vivo response to HSV-1 infection. A high proportion of activated CD8(+) draining lymph node cells were found to express these dominant V regions, suggesting that a substantial number of in vivo responding T cells were directed to this one viral determinant. The use of an HSV-1 deletion mutant lacking the gB(498-505) determinant in combination with accurate intracellular gamma interferon staining allowed us to quantify the extent of gB-specific T-cell dominance. Together, these results suggested that between 70 and 90% of all CD8(+) HSV-1-specific T cells target gB(498-505). While deletion of this determinant resulted in an attenuated CD8(+) T-cell response, it also permitted the emergence of one or more previously unidentified cryptic specificities. Overall, HSV-1 infection of C57BL/6 mice results in an extremely focused pattern of CD8(+) T-cell selection in terms of target specificity and TCR expression.
Wallace
M E
ME
Department of Pathology and Immunology, Monash Medical School, Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia.
Keating
R
R
Heath
W R
WR
Carbone
F R
FR
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus