T cell epitope mapping reveals immunodominance of evolutionarily conserved regions within SARS-CoV-2 proteome.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the breadth and functional profile of T cell responses is crucial for assessing their role in immune surveillance of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Sampling healthy individuals, we profiled the kinetics and polyfunctionality of T cell immunity elicited by mRNA vaccination. Modeling of anti-spike T cell responses against ancestral and variant strains suggested epitope immunodominance and cross-reactivity as major predictive determinants of T cell immunity. To identify immunodominant epitopes, we comprehensively mapped CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell epitopes within non-spike proteins using samples from convalescent patients. We found that immunodominant epitopes mainly resided within regions that were minimally disrupted by emerging mutations. Conservation analysis a

SUBMITTER: Cimen Bozkus C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12312045 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature