Characterization of the peptide-binding specificity of Mamu-A*11 results in the identification of SIV-derived epitopes and interspecies cross-reactivity

Immunogenetics. 2005 Apr;57(1-2):53-68. doi: 10.1007/s00251-004-0749-z. Epub 2005 Mar 4.

Abstract

The SIV-infected Indian rhesus macaque is the most established model of HIV infection, providing insight into pathogenesis and a system for testing novel vaccines. However, only a limited amount of information is available regarding the peptide-binding motifs and epitopes bound by their class I and class II MHC molecules. In this study, we utilized a library of over 1,000 different peptides and a high throughput MHC-peptide binding assay to detail the binding specificity of the rhesus macaque class I molecule Mamu-A*11. These studies defined the fine specificity of primary anchor positions, and dissected the role of secondary anchors, for peptides of 8-11 residues in length. This detailed information was utilized to develop size-specific polynomial algorithms to predict Mamu-A*11 binding capacity. Testing SIVmac239-derived Mamu-A*11 binding peptides for recognition by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Mamu-A*11-positive, SIV-infected macaques, identified five novel SIV-derived Mamu-A*11 epitopes. Finally, we detected extensive cross-reactivity at the binding level between Mamu-A*11 and the mouse H-2 class I molecule Kk. Further experiments revealed that three out of four Mamu-A*11 binding peptides which bound Kk and were immunogenic in Kk mice were also recognized in Mamu-A*11-infected macaques. This is the first detailed description of mouse-macaque interspecies cross-reactivity, potentially useful in testing novel vaccines in mice and macaques.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Computational Biology
  • Epitopes / chemistry
  • Epitopes / genetics
  • Epitopes / immunology*
  • H-2 Antigens / metabolism
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / metabolism*
  • Interferon-gamma / analysis
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Major Histocompatibility Complex / immunology
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / chemistry
  • Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / genetics
  • Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology*
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Epitopes
  • H-2 Antigens
  • H-2Kb protein, mouse
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • Peptides
  • Interferon-gamma