CD8⁺ T-Cell Epitope Variations Suggest a Potential Antigen HLA-A2 Binding Deficiency for Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2.

ABSTRACT: We identified SARS-CoV-2 specific antigen epitopes by HLA-A2 binding affinity analysis and characterized their ability to activate T cells. As the pandemic continues, variations in SARS-CoV-2 virus strains have been found in many countries. In this study, we directly assess the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 epitope variants. We first predicted potential HLA-A*02:01-restricted CD8⁺ T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2. Using the T2 cell model, HLA-A*02:01-restricted T-cell epitopes were screened for their binding affinity and ability to activate T cells. Subsequently, we examined the identified epitope variations and analyzed their impact on immune response. Here, we identified specific HLA-A2-restricted T-cell epitopes in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Seven epitope peptides were con

SUBMITTER: Qiu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8804355 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature