Aa. Delvig et al., T-CELL EPITOPE MAPPING THE PORB PROTEIN OF SEROGROUP-B NEISSERIA-MENINGITIDIS IN B10 CONGENIC STRAINS OF MICE, Clinical immunology and immunopathology, 85(2), 1997, pp. 134-142
T-cell epitope mapping the meningococcal serotype 15 PorB protein perf
ormed in this study in three congenic strains of mice with B10 genetic
background revealed at least three murine T-cell epitopes (55-72, 163
-180, and 226-261), located in the highly conserved putative transmemb
rane regions of Neisserial porins, Proliferation assays with popliteal
lymph node cells derived from mice immunized with the PorB protein or
with synthetic 18-mer peptides showed that epitope 163-180 immunized
only in the H-2(d) haplotype, epitope 55-72 could be presented by both
H-2(f) and H-2(s) molecules, while the 226-261 region covered by thre
e overlapping peptides could be efficiently recognized in context of a
ll three MHC class II haplotypes studied. Inhibition experiments with
blocking I-A alpha- and I-E alpha-specific mAb showed that peptide 163
-180 was presented by I-A(d) and peptide 244-261 was presented by both
I-A(f) and I-A(s). In addition, evidence was obtained that peptide 22
6-243 was presented in context of H-2(d) or I-A(s) haplotypes and pept
ide 55-72 was presented in context of I-A(f) and I-A(s) loci. Finally,
the Norwegian outer membrane vesicle vaccine, but not the purified Po
rB protein, could recall responses in mice immunized with synthetic pe
ptides corresponding to the 226-261 region. Altogether, these results
suggest that T-cell epitopes identified on the serotype 15 PorB protei
n, particularly those presented by several MHC class II molecules (e.g
., 226-261), could have important implications for the development of
meningococcal vaccines. (C) 1997 Academic Press.