Novel translation products from simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239 Env-encoding mRNA contain both Rev and cryptic T-cell epitopes.
Understanding the correlates of immune protection against human immunodeficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) will require defining the entire cellular immune response against the viruses. Here, we define two novel translation products from the SIV env mRNA that are targeted by the T-cell response in SIV-infected rhesus macaques. The shorter product is a subset of the larger product, which contains both the first exon of the Rev protein and a translated portion of the rev intron. Our data suggest that the translation of viral alternate reading frames may be an important source of T-cell epitopes, including epitopes normally derived from functional proteins.
Maness
Nicholas J
NJ
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 555 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711, USA. njmaness@wisc.edu
Sacha
Jonah B
JB
Piaskowski
Shari M
SM
Weisgrau
Kimberly L
KL
Rakasz
Eva G
EG
May
Gemma E
GE
Buechler
Matthew B
MB
Walsh
Andrew D
AD
Wilson
Nancy A
NA
Watkins
David I
DI
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D015694:Gene Products, rev / Q000378:metabolism*; D015752:Genes, env; D008251:Macaca; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics*
D000939:Epitopes; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015694:Gene Products, rev; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral