Defining the mechanism(s) of protection by cytolytic CD8 T cells against a cryptic epitope derived from a retroviral alternative reading frame.

ABSTRACT: The biological significance of protective CD8 T-cell-mediated responses against non-traditional alternative reading frame epitopes remains relatively unknown. Cytolytic CD8 T cells (CTL) specific for a non-traditional cryptic MHC class I epitope, SYNTGRFPPL, are critically involved in the protection of mice during infection with the LP-BM5 murine retrovirus. The goal of this study was to determine the functional properties of the protective SYNTGRFPPL-specific CTL during LP-BM5 infection of susceptible BALB/c CD8(-/-) mice. Direct infection experiments and adoptive transfer of CD8 T cells derived from perforin (pfp)(-/-), IFN gamma(-/-), FasL(-/-) and, as a positive control, wild-type BALB/c mice, were utilized to assess the effector mechanisms responsible for protection. Our results indic

SUBMITTER: Rutkowski MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2760248 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature