Epitopes of Borna disease virus p10 protein identified.

2003 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted epitopes of the Borna disease virus p10 protein have been identified by cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by DNA-based immunization.

According to a study from the United States, "Borna disease virus (BDV) infection of Lewis rats is the most studied animal model of Borna disease, an often fatal encephalomyelitis. In this experimental model, BDV-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a prominent role in the immunopathogenesis of infection by the noncytolytic, persistent BDV."

"Of the six open reading frames of BDV, CTLs to BDV X (p10) and the L-polymerase have never been studied," stated Yoshio Hashimoto and collaborators at Salem International University, West Virginia University, and the Food and Drug Administration. "In this study, we used plasmid immunization to investigate the CTL response to BDV X and N."

The researchers found, "Plasmid-based immunization was a potent CTL inducer in Lewis rats. Anti-X CTLs were primed by a single injection of the p10 cDNA. Two codominant p10 epitopes, M[subscript]1SSDLRLTLL[subscript]10 and T[subscript]8LLELVRRL[subscript]16, associated with the RT1.A[superscript]1 major histocompatibility complex class I molecules of the Lewis rats, were identified. In addition, immunization with a BDV ...