title: Identification of epitopes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 16-kDa protein recognized by human leukocyte antigen-A*0201 CD8(+) T lymphocytes.
abstract: CD8(+) T cells could make an important contribution to protection against tuberculosis (TB), but the antigenic determinants recognized in the context of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules remain ill defined. Our aim was to identify nonamer peptides derived from the acr/16-kDa antigen. Two immunogenic peptides (p21-29 and p120-128) were identified by their ability to elicit cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells from juvenile patients recovering from TB. Epitope-specific recognition was demonstrated by the lysis of both Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected and peptide-pulsed macrophages, the release of cytotoxic granules, and interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production. CD8(+) T cell responses to p21-29 and p120-128 were detected ex vivo in freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with TB but not in those from healthy control subjects. Our data suggest that these antigenic peptides can play a critical role in effective immunity against mycobacterial infection and TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Caccamo
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milano
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Sano
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cigna
authors.forename: Juraj
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ivanyi
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Krensky
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dieli
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salerno
mesh_terms: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; C075005:GNLY protein, human; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C435939:HLA-A*02:01 antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D054353:Perforin; D007371:Interferon-gamma