Alphavirus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognize a cross-reactive epitope from the capsid protein and can eliminate virus from persistently infected macrophages

J Virol. 1998 Jun;72(6):5146-53. doi: 10.1128/JVI.72.6.5146-5153.1998.

Abstract

Persistent alphavirus infections in synovial and neural tissues are believed to be associated with chronic arthritis and encephalitis, respectively, and represent likely targets for CD8+ alphabeta cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Here we show that the capsid protein is a dominant target for alphavirus-specific CTL in BALB/c mice and that capsid-specific CTL from these mice recognize an H-2Kd restricted epitope, QYSGGRFTI. This epitope lies in the highly conserved region of the capsid protein, and QYSGGRFTI-specific CTL were cross reactive across a range of Old World alphaviruses. In vivo the acute primary viraemia of these highly cytopathic viruses was unaffected by QYSGGRFTI-specific CTL. However, in vitro these CTL were able to completely clear virus from macrophages persistently and productively infected with the arthrogenic alphavirus Ross River virus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alphavirus / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Antigen Presentation
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Capsid / immunology*
  • Cross Reactions
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic*
  • Female
  • Immunodominant Epitopes / immunology
  • Macrophages / immunology*
  • Macrophages / virology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C3H
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • Immunodominant Epitopes
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta