title: Identification of novel CTL epitopes of CMV-pp65 presented by a variety of HLA alleles.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T-cell immunity plays an important role in protection from CMV disease in immunocompromised patients. Identification of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes is essential for monitoring T-cell immunity and also for immunotherapy. In this and previous studies, CMV-pp65-specific CTL lines were successfully generated from all of 11 CMV-seropositive healthy donors, using pp65-transduced CD40-activated B (CD40-B) cells as antigen-presenting cells. By use of enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays, individual CTL epitopes could be mapped with truncated forms of the pp65 gene. For human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles with a known binding motif, CTL epitopes within the defined regions were predicted by computer algorithm. For HLA alleles without a known binding motif (HLA-Cw*0801, -Cw*1202, and -Cw*1502), the epitopes were alternatively identified by step-by-step truncations of the pp65 gene. Through this study, a total of 14 novel CTL epitopes of CMV-pp65 were identified. Interestingly, 3 peptides were found to be presented by 2 different HLA class I alleles or subtypes. Moreover, use of CD40-B cells pulsed with a mixture of synthetic peptides led to generation of pp65-specific CTL lines from some of seronegative donors. The study thus demonstrated an efficient strategy for identifying CTL epitopes presented by a variety of HLA alleles.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan.
authors.forename: Eisei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akatsuka
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuzushima
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsujimura
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Yoshitoyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kagami
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kodera
authors.forename: Mitsune
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morishima
authors.forename: Toshitada
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016296:Mutagenesis; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D000939:Epitopes; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa