Human Epitopes Identified from Herpes Simplex Virus Tegument Protein VP11/12 (UL46) Recall Multifunctional Effector Memory CD4⁺ T_EM Cells in Asymptomatic Individuals and Protect from Ocular Herpes Infection and Disease in "Humanized" HLA-DR Transgenic Mice.

ABSTRACT: While the role of CD8⁺ T cells in the control of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection and disease is gaining wider acceptance, a direct involvement of effector CD4⁺ T cells in this protection and the phenotype and function of HSV-specific human CD4⁺ T cell epitopes remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, we report that several epitopes from the HSV-1 virion tegument protein (VP11/12) encoded by UL46 are targeted by CD4⁺ T cells from HSV-seropositive asymptomatic individuals (who, despite being infected, never develop any recurrent herpetic disease). Among these, we identified two immunodominant effector memory CD4⁺ T_EM cell epitopes, amino acids (aa) 129 to 143 of VP11/12 (VP11/12_129-143) and VP11

SUBMITTER: Srivastava R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7081904 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature