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Peptide:MHC Tetramer-based Enrichment of Epitope-specific T cells
Published on: October 22, 2012
Epitope repertoire of human CD4+ T cells on tetanus toxin: identification of immunodominant sequence segments
B M Diethelm-Okita1, R Raju, D K Okita
1Department of Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108, USA.
Sequence regions of tetanus toxin-forming CD4+ cell epitopes in 8 HLA-disparate subjects were identified. Overlapping synthetic peptides corresponding to the complete tetanus toxin sequence were used to test, in a proliferation assay, unselected blood CD4+ cells or CD4+ cell lines propagated by stimulation with tetanus toxoid. The CD4+ cell lines recognized most peptides recognized by the blood CD4+ cells and they recognized additional peptides. Their responses were stronger than those of unselected blood CD4+ cells. Two peptides were recognized by all subjects: one largely overlapped a tetanus toxin sequence region previously identified as a "universal" T cell epitope. Thirteen other peptides elicited a CD4+ cell response in 6 or 7 of the 8 subjects, and another 10 elicited responses in 5 subjects.
Sequence regions of tetanus toxin-forming CD4+ cell epitopes in 8 HLA-disparate subjects were identified. Overlapping synthetic peptides corresponding to the complete tetanus toxin sequence were used to test, in a proliferation assay, unselected blood CD4+ cells or CD4+ cell lines propagated by stimulation with tetanus toxoid. The CD4+ cell lines recognized most peptides recognized by the blood CD4+ cells and they recognized additional peptides. Their responses were stronger than those of unselected blood CD4+ cells. Two peptides were recognized by all subjects: one largely overlapped a tetanus toxin sequence region previously identified as a "universal" T cell epitope. Thirteen other peptides elicited a CD4+ cell response in 6 or 7 of the 8 subjects, and another 10 elicited responses in 5 subjects.
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