title: Cell mediated immune response elicited in mice after immunization with the P64k meningococcal protein: epitope mapping.
abstract: The P64k protein of Neisseria meningitidis has been reported as an immunological carrier for weak immunogens. This investigation was aimed at characterizing the T-cell response produced in primed mice and at identifying T helper cell epitopes within this molecule. BALB/c mice subcutaneously immunized with the recombinant antigen provided inguinal lymph node cells (LNC) that proliferated in the presence of P64k in a dose-dependent manner. Proliferating cells secreted IL-4 while the concentration of IL-12 remained unaltered in the culture supernatant. By testing a panel of 59 overlapping synthetic peptides spanning the entire sequence of the antigen a T-cell determinant was localized. Prime-boost and lymphoproliferation experiments, conducted with highly purified synthetic peptides, confirmed that the segment including amino acids 470-485 comprises a T-cell epitope within the P64k molecule.
authors.affiliation: Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, P.O. Box 6162, Havana 10600, Cuba. sonia.gonzalez@cigb.edu.cu
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nazábal
authors.forename: Kanury V S
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Hilda E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Garay
authors.forename: Evelin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Julio C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Obregón
authors.forename: Gretel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sardiñas
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C112623:lpdA protein, Neisseria meningitidis