Cytotoxic T-cell activity antagonized by naturally occurring HIV-1 Gag variants

Abstract

MOST asymptomatic individuals infected with HIV-1 have a cyto-toxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to the virus Gag proteins which can be demonstrated in vitro^1,2. Epitopes have been mapped in p17 Gag and p24 Gag restricted by HLA-B8 (p17-3 and p24-13) and -B27 (p24-14) ^2,3. Viruses isolated from patients who make CTL responses to these peptides vary within the genetic sequences encoding these epitopes and some mutations lead to reduction in killing activity in vitro⁴. This was attributed to either failure of the variant epitope to bind major histocompatibility complex class I or failure of T-cell receptors to bind the presented peptide. But peptide variants of class I-restricted epitopes cause 'antagonism', that is, the presence of a variant epitope (in the form of peptide) inhibits normal lysis of targets presenting the original epitope^5,6. This mirrors similar findings in class II-restricted systems^7–10. Here we report that naturally occurring variant forms of p17-3, p24-13 and p24-14 may cause antagonism of CTL lines derived from the same individuals. The effect is present if the epitopes are derived from synthetic peptides and when they are processed from full-length proteins expressed by either recombinant vaccinia constructs or replicating HIV.