Minor viral and host genetic polymorphisms can dramatically impact the biologic outcome of an epitope-specific CD8 T-cell response.

ABSTRACT: Human immunodeficiency virus-1 subtypes A and C differ in the highly conserved Gag-TL9 epitope at a single amino acid position. Similarly, the TL9 presenting human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules B42 and B81 differ only at 6 amino acid positions. Here, we addressed the influence of such minor viral and host genetic variation on the TL9-specific CD8 T-cell response. The clonotypic characteristics of CD8 T-cell populations elicited by subtype A or subtype C were distinct, and these responses differed substantially with respect to the recognition and selection of TL9 variants. Irrespective of the presenting HLA class I molecule, CD8 T-cell responses elicited by subtype C exhibited largely comparable TL9 variant cross-recognition properties, expressed T-cell receptors that used almos

SUBMITTER: Geldmacher C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2731637 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature