The efficacy of antigen processing is critical for protection against cytomegalovirus disease in the presence of viral immune evasion proteins.
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) code for immunoevasins, glycoproteins that are specifically dedicated to interfere with the presentation of antigenic peptides to CD8 T cells. Nonetheless, the biological outcome is not an immune evasion of the virus, since CD8 T cells can control CMV infection even when immunoevasins are expressed. Here, we compare the processing of a protective and a nonprotective epitope derived from the same viral protein, the antiapoptotic protein M45 in the murine model. The data provide evidence to conclude that protection against CMVs critically depends on antigenic peptides generated in an amount sufficient to exhaust the inhibitory capacity of immunoevasins.
Holtappels
Rafaela
R
Institute for Virology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Thomas
Doris
D
Reddehase
Matthias J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014764:Viral Proteins; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases; C422747:m45 protein, Mouse cytomegalovirus 1