Specificity of CD8+ T cells from subunit-vaccinated and infected H-2b mice recognizing the 38 kDa antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Xiaojiu Zhu, Hans J. Stauss, Juraj Ivanyi, H. Martin Vordermeier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

CD8+ T cells have been implicated in protective anti-tuberculous immune responses, but little is known about the identity of mycobacterial antigens recognized by CD8+ T cells. In this study we identified the Mycobacterium tuberculosis 38 kDa protein as a target for murine CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) which were induced by vaccination of C57BL/6 mice with DNA delivered with a plasmid, with transfected tumour cells or by infection with tubercle bacilli. Using overlapping synthetic peptides covering the whole protein sequence, peptides predicted to contain H-2Kb or H-2Db motifs, as well as naturally processed peptides, we were able to identify CTL epitopes. Differences were demonstrated in peptide specificity between CTL from immunized or M. tuberculosis-infected mice. The identified CTL epitopes could be important for future analysis of the involvement of CD8+ T cells in M. tuberculosis infections and for vaccine development.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1669-1676
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Immunology
Volume9
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01 Dec 1997

Keywords

  • CD8
  • Cytotoxic T lymphocyte
  • Epitopes
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Tuberculosis

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