title: Epitope mapping of HSV-1 glycoprotein K (gK) reveals a T cell epitope located within the signal domain of gK.
abstract: Glycoprotein K (gK) is a virion envelope component of herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2), which plays an important role in virion morphogenesis and egress. We previously demonstrated that immunization of mice with gK, but not with any of the 10 other HSV-1 glycoproteins, resulted in exacerbation of corneal scarring and herpetic dermatitis following ocular HSV-1 infection. However, little is known about the gK epitope(s) that is (are) involved in T cell activities in vitro or in vivo. Thus, epitope mapping of gK was performed using a panel of 15-mer peptides with five-amino acid overlaps spanning the full-length gK, and four expressed gK recombinant proteins representing different regions of gK. Epitope mapping within the gK polypeptide defined the amino acid sequence STVVLITAYGLVLVW as the predominant CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell stimulatory region both in vitro and in vivo. IFN-gamma expression by CD4(+) T cells was CD8(+) T cells-dependent. This immunodominant epitope is located within the signal sequence of the gK polypeptide and is highly conserved in HSV-1 and HSV-2 strains. Using prediction algorithms, the peptide is predicted to bind to numerous MHC class I and class II molecules.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neurobiology and Vaccine Development, Ophthalmology Research, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Burns and Allen Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
authors.forename: Yanira
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osorio
authors.forename: Kevin R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mott
authors.forename: Abdul M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jabbar
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Konstantin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Kousoulas
authors.forename: Homayon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghiasi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018411:Spodoptera; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D010455:Peptides; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C072448:UL53 protein, Human herpesvirus 1; D014764:Viral Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma