This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zhang, X. Articles by BenMohamed, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zhang, X. Articles by BenMohamed, L.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, December 2005, p. 15289-15301, Vol. 79, No. 24
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.24.15289-15301.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Th-Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Chimeric Epitopes Extended by N-Palmitoyl Lysines Induce Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1-Specific Effector CD8⁺ Tc₁ Responses and Protect against Ocular Infection

The Cellular and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, The Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California 92697-4375,¹ TwentyFirst Century Biochemicals,² Center for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-1450³

Received 26 July 2005/ Accepted 22 September 2005

Molecularly defined vaccine formulations capable of inducing antiviral CD8⁺ T-cell-specific immunity in a manner compatible with human delivery are limited. Few molecules achieve this target without the support of an appropriate immunological adjuvant. In this study, we investigate the potential of totally synthetic palmitoyl-tailed helper-cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte chimeric epitopes (Th-CTL chimeric lipopeptides) to induce herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses. As a model antigen, the HSV-1 glycoprotein B (498-505) (gB_498-505) CD8⁺ CTL epitope was synthesized in line with the Pan DR peptide (PADRE), a universal CD4⁺ Th epitope. The peptide backbone, composed solely of both epitopes, was extended by N-terminal attachment of one (PAM-Th-CTL), two [(PAM)₂-Th-CTL], or three [(PAM)₃-Th-CTL] palmitoyl lysines and delivered to H2^b mice in adjuvant-free saline. Potent HSV-1 gB_498-505-specific antiviral CD8⁺ T-cell effector type 1 responses were induced by each of the palmitoyl-tailed Th-CTL chimeric epitopes, irrespective of the number of lipid moieties. The palmitoyl-tailed Th-CTL chimeric epitopes provoked cell surface expression of major histocompatibility complex and costimulatory molecules and production of interleukin-12 and tumor necrosis factor alpha proinflammatory cytokines by immature dendritic cells. Following ocular HSV-1 challenge, palmitoyl-tailed Th-CTL-immunized mice exhibited a decrease of virus replication in the eye and in the local trigeminal ganglion and reduced herpetic blepharitis and corneal scarring. The rational of the molecularly defined vaccine approach presented in this study may be applied to ocular herpes and other viral infections in humans, providing steps are taken to include appropriate Th and CTL epitopes and lipid groups.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Zhang, X., Castelli, F. A., Zhu, X., Wu, M., Maillere, B., BenMohamed, L. (2008). Gender-Dependent HLA-DR-Restricted Epitopes Identified from Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Glycoprotein D. CVI 15: 1436-1449 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chentoufi, A. A., Zhang, X., Lamberth, K., Dasgupta, G., Bettahi, I., Nguyen, A., Wu, M., Zhu, X., Mohebbi, A., Buus, S., Wechsler, S. L., Nesburn, A. B., BenMohamed, L. (2008). HLA-A*0201-Restricted CD8+ Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Epitopes Identified from Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein D. J. Immunol. 180: 426-437 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bettahi, I., Nesburn, A. B., Yoon, S., Zhang, X., Mohebbi, A., Sue, V., Vanderberg, A., Wechsler, S. L., BenMohamed, L. (2007). Protective Immunity against Ocular Herpes Infection and Disease Induced by Highly Immunogenic Self-Adjuvanting Glycoprotein D Lipopeptide Vaccines. IOVS 48: 4643-4653 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nesburn, A. B., Bettahi, I., Dasgupta, G., Chentoufi, A. A., Zhang, X., You, S., Morishige, N., Wahlert, A. J., Brown, D. J., Jester, J. V., Wechsler, S. L., BenMohamed, L. (2007). Functional Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25(Bright+) "Natural" Regulatory T Cells Are Abundant in Rabbit Conjunctiva and Suppress Virus-Specific CD4+ and CD8+ Effector T Cells during Ocular Herpes Infection. J. Virol. 81: 7647-7661 [Abstract] [Full Text]