Modification of the carboxy-terminal flanking region of a universal influenza epitope alters CD4⁺ T-cell repertoire selection.

ABSTRACT: Human CD4(+) αβ T cells are activated via T-cell receptor recognition of peptide epitopes presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (MHC-II). The open ends of the MHC-II binding groove allow peptide epitopes to extend beyond a central nonamer core region at both the amino- and carboxy-terminus. We have previously found that these non-bound C-terminal residues can alter T cell activation in an MHC allele-transcending fashion, although the mechanism for this effect remained unclear. Here we show that modification of the C-terminal peptide-flanking region of an influenza hemagglutinin (HA(305-320)) epitope can alter T-cell receptor binding affinity, T-cell activation and repertoire selection of influenza-specific CD4(+) T cells expanded from peripheral blood. These data pro

SUBMITTER: Cole DK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3293629 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature