Evidence indicates that autoimmunity can be triggered by virus-specific CD8(+) T cells that crossreact with self-derived peptide epitopes presented on the cell surface by major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) molecules. Identification of the associated viral pathogens is challenging because individual T-cell receptors can potentially recognize up to a million different peptides. Here, we generate peptide length-matched combinatorial peptide library (CPL) scan data for a panel of virus-specific CD8(+) T-cell clones spanning different restriction elements and a range of epitope lengths. CPL scan data drove a protein database search limited to viruses that infect humans. Peptide sequences were ranked in order of likelihood of recognition. For all anti-viral CD8(+) T-cell clones examined in this study, the index peptide was either the top-ranked sequence or ranked as one of the most likely sequences to be recognized. Thus, we demonstrate that anti-viral CD8(+) T-cell clones are highly focused on their index peptide sequence and that 'CPL-driven database searching' can be used to identify the inciting virus-derived epitope for a given CD8(+) T-cell clone. Moreover, to augment access to CPL-driven database searching, we have created a publicly accessible webtool. Application of these methodologies in the clinical setting may clarify the role of viral pathogens in the etiology of autoimmune diseases.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4943067 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/icb.2016.12 | DOI Listing |
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!