Antigenicity of peptides comprising the immunosuppressive domain of the retroviral envelope glycoprotein.

ABSTRACT: To achieve persistent infection of the host, viruses often subvert or suppress host immunity through mechanisms that are not entirely understood. The envelope glycoprotein of several retroviruses is thought to possess potent immunosuppressive activity, mapped to a 17-amino acid residue conserved domain. Synthetic peptides corresponding to this immunosuppressive domain can inhibit lymphocyte activation, whereas mutation of key domain residues can increase the lymphocyte response to linked antigenic epitopes. Using three T cell receptors (TCRs) of defined specificity, we examine the effect of the immunosuppressive domain on the T cell response to their respective antigenic peptides. We find that fusion of a T cell epitope to the immunosuppressive domain can greatly modulate its potency. Howe

SUBMITTER: Jenkins B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5242373 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature