title: In silico prediction of Leishmania major-specific CD8+epitopes.
abstract: Infections with Leishmania (L.) major induce protective IFN-γ-dependent Th1/Tc1 immunity in C57BL/6 mice as well as in immunocompetent humans. Even though antigen-specific immunity provides lifelong immunity against reinfection, a vaccine against this pathogen does not yet exist. Here, we compared the results obtained from in silico predictions of murine CD8-specific L. major peptides using the algorithm SYFPEITHI with the number and predicted affinity of known proteins/peptides. Our results indicate that the majority of "immunodominant" epitopes of L. major have not been identified so far; thus, computer-based prediction algorithms may aid the development of an effective vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dietze-Schwonberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Beatrix
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grewe
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brosch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuharev
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ger
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Zandbergen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Rammensee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tenzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: von Stebut
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
keywords: 
  L. major
  ; 
  SYFPEITHI
  ; epitope-prediction