IDENTIFICATION OF TWO T-CELL-SPECIFIC EPITOPES IN THE CONSERVED REGIONS OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS GLYCOPROTEIN

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

IDENTIFICATION OF TWO T-CELL-SPECIFIC EPITOPES IN THE CONSERVED REGIONS OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS GLYCOPROTEIN

Vaccines 88. New Chemical and Genetic Approaches to Vaccination: Prevention of AIDS and Other Viral, Bacterial, and Parasitic Diseases. Ginsberg H et al, eds. New York, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, p. 357-60, 1988.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/89649781
Krohn KJ; Lusso P; Gallo RC; Ranki A; Arthur LO; Moss B; Putney S; Lab. of Tumor Cell Biology, NCI, Bethesda, MD 20892

Abstract: A central element in the antimicrobial immune response is the recognition of antigenic epitopes, in association with class II MHC antigens, by helper/inducer T cells; upon subsequent activation, these cells will induce antibody production and activation of T cells. Identification of the specific epitopes in HIV, which are seen by helper T cells, would be the first step in generating a subunit HIV vaccine. Proliferative T-cell responses toward synthetic peptides were sought in chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys immunized against the native recombinant proteins representing the HIV envelope glycoprotein. Two helper T-cell-specific epitopes were identified in two of the six conserved regions in HIV gp120, and it was shown that simultaneous recognition of these structures would account for a broad group-specific response toward several HIV isolates. The results suggest that, in contrast to neutralizing antibodies, which in immunized animals usually have shown strict type specificity, a T-cell response toward HIV is mainly directed to conserved regions of the HIV external envelope protein gp120. Simultaneous recognition of both T-cell epitopes is necessary for a genuine group-specific response. These results raise the hope that a subunit vaccine that would elicit protection against several HIV isolates is a feasible goal. (3 Refs)

Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/IMMUNOLOGY Animal Chimpansee troglodytes Epitopes/*IMMUNOLOGY HIV/*IMMUNOLOGY HIV Antibodies/BIOSYNTHESIS Neutralization Tests Retroviridae Proteins/*IMMUNOLOGY T-Lymphocytes/*IMMUNOLOGY T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/IMMUNOLOGY Vaccines, Synthetic/*IMMUNOLOGY Viral Vaccines/*IMMUNOLOGY MEETING PAPER

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