Multiple epitopes from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESAT-6 antigen are recognized by antigen-specific human T cell lines.
A synthetic-peptide approach was used to map epitope regions of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis 6-kDa early secreted antigen target (ESAT-6) by testing human CD4(+) T cell lines for secretion of IFN-gamma in response to recombinant ESAT-6 (rESAT-6) and overlapping 20-mer peptides covering the antigen sequence. The results demonstrate that all of the ESAT-6 peptides screened were able to induce IFN-gamma secretion from one or more of the T cell lines tested. Some of the individual T cell lines showed the capacity to respond to all peptides. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR) typing of the donors showed that rESAT-6 was presented to T cells in association with multiple HLA-DR molecules. The results suggest that frequent recognition of the M. tuberculosis ESAT-6 antigen by T cells from patients with tuberculosis is due to the presence of multiple epitopes scattered throughout the ESAT-6 sequence.
Mustafa
A S
AS
Department of Microbiology, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait. abusalim@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Oftung
F
F
Amoudy
H A
HA
Madi
N M
NM
Abal
A T
AT
Shaban
F
F
Rosen Krands
I
I
Andersen
P
P
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C093276:ESAT-6 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D010455:Peptides; D007371:Interferon-gamma