This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sarén, A.
Right arrow Articles by Vuola, J. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sarén, A.
Right arrow Articles by Vuola, J. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, July 2002, p. 3336-3343, Vol. 70, No. 7
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.7.3336-3343.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification of Chlamydia pneumoniae-Derived Mouse CD8 Epitopes

Anne Sarén,1* Steve Pascolo,2 Stefan Stevanovic,2 Tilman Dumrese,2,{dagger} Mirja Puolakkainen,3 Matti Sarvas,1 Hans-Georg Rammensee,2 and Jenni M. Vuola1

Department of Vaccines, National Public Health Institute,1 Department of Virology, Haartman Institute and Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,3 Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen, Germany2

Received 25 January 2002/ Returned for modification 15 March 2002/ Accepted 18 April 2002

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common intracellular human pathogen that has been associated with several severe pathological conditions, including coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. There is no vaccine against C. pneumoniae infection, but CD8+ T cells have been shown to be crucial for protection during experimental infection. However, the effector functions and epitope specificity of the protective CD8+ T cell remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify C. pneumoniae-derived mouse CD8 epitopes by using a recent epitope prediction method. Of four C. pneumoniae proteins (the major outer membrane protein, outer membrane protein 2, polymorphic outer membrane protein 5, and heat shock protein 60), 53 potential CD8+ T-cell epitopes were predicted by H-2 class I binding algorithms. Nineteen of the 53 peptides were identified as CD8 epitopes by testing for induction of a cytotoxic response after immunization. To test whether the predicted epitopes are naturally processed and presented by C. pneumoniae-infected cells, we generated a panel of seven peptide-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte lines that were subsequently tested for recognition of C. pneumoniae-infected target cells. By using this strategy, we were able to identify three C. pneumoniae CD8 epitopes that were, indeed, processed and presented on infected cells. Identification of these natural CD8 epitopes provides tools for characterization of CD8+ T-cell function in vivo and generation of epitope-specific prevention strategies.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Public Health Institute, Department of Vaccines, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-9-4744 8566. Fax: 358-9-4744 8347. E-mail: anne.saren{at}ktl.fi.

Editor: J. D. Clements

{dagger} Present address: Institute of Experimental Immunology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Infection and Immunity, July 2002, p. 3336-3343, Vol. 70, No. 7
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.7.3336-3343.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Tvinnereim, A., Wizel, B. (2007). CD8+ T Cell Protective Immunity against Chlamydia pneumoniae Includes an H2-M3-Restricted Response That Is Largely CD4+ T Cell-Independent. J. Immunol. 179: 3947-3957 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Carralot, J.-P., Dumrese, C., Wessel, R., Riessen, R., Autenrieth, I., Walter, S., Schoor, O., Stevanovic, S., Rammensee, H.-G., Pascolo, S. (2005). CD8+ T cells specific for a potential HLA-A*0201 epitope from Chlamydophila pneumoniae are present in the PBMCs from infected patients. Int Immunol 17: 591-597 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pinchuk, I., Starcher, B. C., Livingston, B., Tvninnereim, A., Wu, S., Appella, E., Sidney, J., Sette, A., Wizel, B. (2005). A CD8+ T Cell Heptaepitope Minigene Vaccine Induces Protective Immunity against Chlamydia pneumoniae. J. Immunol. 174: 5729-5739 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gervassi, A. L., Grabstein, K. H., Probst, P., Hess, B., Alderson, M. R., Fling, S. P. (2004). Human CD8+ T Cells Recognize the 60-kDa Cysteine-Rich Outer Membrane Protein from Chlamydia trachomatis. J. Immunol. 173: 6905-6913 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Li, Z., Diaz-Montero, C. M., Valbuena, G., Yu, X.-J., Olano, J. P., Feng, H.-M., Walker, D. H. (2003). Identification of CD8 T-Lymphocyte Epitopes in OmpB of Rickettsia conorii. Infect. Immun. 71: 3920-3926 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»