Identification specific T lymphocyte epitopes on E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 18 in mice / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify specific T lymphocyte epitope on E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 18 in mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Infection with one recombinant vaccinia virus rVVJ18 E7, E6 respectively in C57 BL/6 and BALB/c mice, specific cellular immune responses were detected by ELISPOT or intracellular cytokine stainings by using a series of overlapping synthetic peptides covering full length of the amino acid sequence of E6 and E7 proteins or various truncated peptides.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rVVJ18 E7, E6 generated significant E6 specific T-cell immune responses in vaccinated mice. Mapping of the epitope of E6 revealed that the peptides E6(67-75 ( KCIDFYSRI) and E6(60-68) (IPHAAGHKC) presented respectively by C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were the optimal peptides to activate E6-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes. However no positive cellular immune responses stimulated with various E7 peptides were detected by ELISPOT in immunized mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Two specific T lymphocyte epitopes were identified on E6 protein in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, which will provide the basis to evaluate cellular immune response elicited by HPV18 E6 protein based vaccine.</p>