T-Cell Epitope Mapping of the Three Most Abundant Extracellular Proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Outbred Guinea Pigs

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

American Society for Microbiology

RESUMO

The three most abundant extracellular proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the 30-, 32-, and 16-kDa major extracellular proteins, are particularly promising vaccine candidates. We have mapped T-cell epitopes of these three proteins in outbred guinea pigs by immunizing the animals with each protein and assaying splenic lymphocyte proliferation against a series of overlapping synthetic peptides covering the entire length of the mature proteins. The 30-kDa protein contained nine immunodominant epitopes, the 32-kDa protein contained two immunodominant epitopes, and the 16-kDa protein contained a highly immunodominant region at its N terminus. The immunodominant epitopes of the 30- and 32-kDa proteins in outbred guinea pigs were frequently identified in healthy purified-protein-derivative-positive or BCG-vaccinated individuals in previous studies. The immunodominant epitopes of these major extracellular proteins have potential utility in an epitope-based vaccine against tuberculosis.

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