title: Genome-wide analysis reveals a highly diverse CD8 T cell response to murine cytomegalovirus.
abstract: Human CMV establishes a lifelong latent infection in the majority of people worldwide. Although most infections are asymptomatic, immunocompetent hosts devote an extraordinary amount of immune resources to virus control. To increase our understanding of CMV immunobiology in an animal model, we used a genomic approach to comprehensively map the C57BL/6 CD8 T cell response to murine CMV (MCMV). Responses to 27 viral proteins were detectable directly ex vivo, the most diverse CD8 T cell response yet described within an individual animal. Twenty-four peptide epitopes were mapped from 18 Ags, which together account for most of the MCMV-specific response. Most Ags were from genes expressed at early times, after viral genes that interfere with Ag presentation are expressed, consistent with the hypothesis that the CD8 T cell response to MCMV is largely driven by cross-presented Ag. Titration of peptide epitopes in a direct ex vivo intracellular cytokine staining assay revealed a wide range of functional avidities, with no obvious correlation between functional avidity and the strength of the response. The immunodominance hierarchy varied only slightly between mice and between experiments. However, H-2(b)-expressing mice with different genetic backgrounds responded preferentially to different epitopes, indicating that non-MHC-encoded factors contribute to immunodominance in the CD8 T cell response to MCMV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Munks
authors.forename: Marielle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Allison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zajac
authors.forename: Carmen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Doom
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Morello
authors.forename: Deborah H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: Ann B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000465:Algorithms; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003201:Computers; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D015723:Gene Library; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018146:Muromegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D010455:Peptides