title: Target HCV NS3 CD4+ Th1 epitope to major histocompatibility complex class II pathway.
abstract: A hepatitis C virus (HCV) plasmid vaccine was constructed, based on class II-associated invariant chain peptide (CLIP) substitution which endogenously targets HCV non-structure protein 3 (NS3) CD4+ T helper 1(Th1) epitope (1248AA-1261AA) to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen. The in vitro expression results demonstrated that the vaccine was expressed efficiently in COS-7 cell line. The expressed protein could co-localize in endo-membrane system with BALB/c mouse MHC class II molecule I-Ad. The recombinant invariant chain molecule could aggregate with BALB/c mouse I-Ad molecule and form the theoretical nonomer structure in the COS-7 cell line. The assembled molecules migrate to the cell surface by exocytosis. This has implications for HCV vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: Lab of Blood-borne Virus, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, 27(9) Taiping Road, 100850, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hai-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-Ning
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Quan-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D000939:Epitopes; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II