title: Induction of T-cell response by a DNA vaccine encoding a novel HLA-A*0201 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus epitope.
abstract: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus nucleocapsid protein (SARS-CoV N) is one of the major targets for SARS vaccine due to its high potency in triggering immune responses. In this study, we have identified a novel HLA-A*0201 restricted epitope, N220 (LALLLLDRL), of the SARS-CoV N-protein through bioinformatics analysis. The N-protein peptide N220 shows a high binding affinity towards human MHC class I in T2-cells, and is capable of activating cytotoxic T-cells in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The application of using the N220 peptide sequence with a single-chain-trimer (SCT) approach to produce a potential DNA vaccine candidate was investigated in HLA-A2.1K(b) transgenic mice. Cytotoxicity assay clearly showed that the T-cells obtained from the vaccinated animals were able to kill the N-protein expressing cells with a cytotoxicity level of 86% in an effector cells/target cells ratio of 81:1 one week after the last vaccination, which is significantly higher than other N-protein peptides previously described. The novel immunogenic N-protein peptide revealed in the present study provides valuable information for therapeutic SARS vaccine design.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Kit
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Samuel Chak-Sum
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Fion Wan-Yee
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Sin
authors.forename: Kin-Tak
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C435939:HLA-A*02:01 antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014765:Viral Vaccines