Immune response to proteins necessarily involve the recognition by T lymphocytes of a peptide or peptides derived from a a protein complexed with a major histocompatibility antigen. Th T-cell response of BALB/c mice to the bacteriophage lambda cI repressor protein (residues 1-102) is directed predominantly towards the epitope contained within a single peptide encompassing residues 12-26 (refs 1, 2). Similar phenomenon of immunodominance of a particular peptide have also been observed in other protein systems. The mechanism that have been suggested to account for the focusing of the T-cell response are partial deletion in the T cell repertoire, biased antigen processing, and competition for binding to the presenting molecule, the major histocompatibility complex encoded class II transplantation antigen. In a model system with a polypeptide containing two synthetically linked immunologically active epitopes, we now demonstrate the existence of a hierarchy between these epitopes, so that the immune response elicited is directed mainly towards the more immunogenic epitope whereas the less immunogenic epitope elicits little or no T cell reactivity. in addition the same hierarchy of dominance is also apparent when the polypeptide id used to induce tolerance in the periphery in adult mice.
Ria, F., Chan, B. M., Scherer, M. T., Smith, J. A., Gefter, M. L., Immunological activity of covalently linked T-cell epitopes, <<NATURE>>, 1990; 343 (6256): 381-383. [doi:10.1038/343381a0] [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/117188]
Immunological activity of covalently linked T-cell epitopes
Ria, Francesco;
1990
Abstract
Immune response to proteins necessarily involve the recognition by T lymphocytes of a peptide or peptides derived from a a protein complexed with a major histocompatibility antigen. Th T-cell response of BALB/c mice to the bacteriophage lambda cI repressor protein (residues 1-102) is directed predominantly towards the epitope contained within a single peptide encompassing residues 12-26 (refs 1, 2). Similar phenomenon of immunodominance of a particular peptide have also been observed in other protein systems. The mechanism that have been suggested to account for the focusing of the T-cell response are partial deletion in the T cell repertoire, biased antigen processing, and competition for binding to the presenting molecule, the major histocompatibility complex encoded class II transplantation antigen. In a model system with a polypeptide containing two synthetically linked immunologically active epitopes, we now demonstrate the existence of a hierarchy between these epitopes, so that the immune response elicited is directed mainly towards the more immunogenic epitope whereas the less immunogenic epitope elicits little or no T cell reactivity. in addition the same hierarchy of dominance is also apparent when the polypeptide id used to induce tolerance in the periphery in adult mice.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.