PubMed · 16844400
Human memory T cell responses to SARS-CoV E protein.
Abstract
E protein is a membrane component of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Disruption of E protein may reduce viral infectivity. Thus, the SARS-CoV E protein is considered a potential target for the development of antiviral drugs. However, the cellular immune responses to E protein remain unclear in humans. In this study, we found that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from fully recovered SARS individuals rapidly produced IFN-gamma and IL-2 following stimulation with a pool of 9 peptides overlapping the entire E protein sequence. Analysis of the immune responses by flow cytometry showed that both CD4+ and CD8+T cells were involved in the SARS-CoV E-specific immune responses after stimulation with SARS-CoV E peptides. Moreover, the majority of IFN-gamma+CD4+T cells were central memory cells expressing CD45RO+CCR7+CD62L-; whereas IFN-gamma+CD8+ memory T cells were mostly effector memory cells expressing CD45RO-CCR7-CD62L-. The results of T-cell responses to 9 individual peptides indicated that the E protein contained at least two major T cell epitopes (E2 amino acid [aa] 9-26 and E5-6: aa 33-57) which were important in eliciting cellular immune response to SARS-CoV E protein in humans.
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Hui Peng, Li-tao Yang, Jian Li, Zhi-qiang Lu, Ling-yun Wang, Richard A Koup, Robert T Bailer, Chang-you Wu. 2006-06-30. Human memory T cell responses to SARS-CoV E protein.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2006.05.008
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