📄 A transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus nucleoprotein epitope elicits T helper cells that collaborate in the in vitro antibody synthesis to the three major structural viral proteins

Four strong T cell epitopes have been identified studying the blastogenic response of lymphocytes from haplotype-defined transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) immune miniswine to sixty-one 15-mer synthetic peptides. Three of these epitopes are located on the nucleoprotein (N46, amino acids 46 to 60; N272, amino acids 272 to 286; and N321, amino acids 321 to 335), and one on the membrane protein (M196, amino acids 196 to 210). N321 peptide induced the highest T cell response and was recognized by immune miniswine lymphocytes with haplotypes dd, aa, and cc. T lymphocytes from peptide N321 immune miniswine reconstituted the in vitro synthesis of TGEV-specific antibodies by complementing CD4- TGEV-immune cells. This response was directed at least against the three major structural proteins. The synthesized antibodies specific for S protein preferentially recognized discontinous epitopes and neutralized TGEV infectivity. These results show that peptide N321 defines a functional T helper epitope eliciting T cells capable of collaborating with B cells specific for different proteins of TGEV. © 1995 Academic Press, Inc.

keywords 🔗 amino acid (454) 🔗 gastroenteritis virus (188) 🔗 structural proteins (197) 🔗 membrane protein (93) 🔗 amino acids (205) 🔗 transmissible gastroenteritis (226)

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