The polyclonal CD8 T cell response to influenza M158-66 generates a fully connected network of cross-reactive clonotypes to structurally related peptides: a paradigm for memory repertoire coverage of novel epitopes or escape mutants

J Immunol. 2011 Jun 1;186(11):6390-7. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1004031. Epub 2011 Apr 25.

Abstract

Cross-reactivity of T cells is defined as recognition of two or more peptide-MHC complexes by the same T cell. Although examples of cross-reactivity have been reported, a detailed examination of cross-reactivity has not been performed. In this study, we took advantage of the high degree of polyclonality in the BV19 T cell repertoire responding to influenza M1(58-66) in HLA-A2 individuals to obtain a measure of simple cross-reactivity. We used substitutions that incrementally change the structure of the M1(58-66) peptide to measure how the HLA-A2-restricted response adapts to these changes. In three HLA-A2 adult subjects, we identified the BV19 clonotypes in the recall response to the influenza epitope M1(58-66) and 12 M1 peptides substituted at TCR contact position 63 or 65. The fraction of cross-reactive clonotypes in the M1(58-66) repertoire varied from 45-58% in the three donors. The extent of cross-reactivity, which is the additional number of peptides recognized by a single clonotype, is as high as six. We summarized the data using graph theory, with the cross-reactive clonotypes connecting the different HLA-A2 peptides recognized. The cross-reactive clonotypes form a well-connected network that could provide protection from virus-escape variants. We predict that any new pathogen with an epitope whose shape corresponds to that of the peptides that we studied would find a pre-existing repertoire ready to respond to it. We propose that in adult memory repertoires, previously encountered epitopes may have generated similar cross-reactive repertoires.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • Base Sequence
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Clone Cells / immunology
  • Clone Cells / metabolism
  • Cross Reactions / immunology*
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / immunology
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / chemistry
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immune Evasion / genetics
  • Immune Evasion / immunology
  • Immunologic Memory / immunology
  • Influenza A virus / genetics
  • Influenza A virus / immunology
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Immunological
  • Mutation
  • Peptides / genetics
  • Peptides / immunology*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / metabolism
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • HLA-A2 Antigen
  • Peptides
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Viral Matrix Proteins