T cell reactivity of defined peptides from a major Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidate: the Pf155/RESA antigen

Immunol Lett. 1988 Nov;19(3):229-33. doi: 10.1016/0165-2478(88)90147-2.

Abstract

Several immunodominant B-cell epitopes of the P. falciparum antigen blood stage Pf155/RESA, a major vaccine candidate antigen, are located in the molecular regions containing amino acid repeats. We started to map Pf155/RESA for T cell reactive epitopes. For this purpose, short synthetic peptides corresponding to the 3'- and 5' repeat regions of the molecule as well as to non-repeated sequences outside these regions were prepared. T cells from P. falciparum primed donors from two highly endemic areas of Africa were tested for their responsiveness to the peptides by thymidine incorporation and/or interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) release. There was a considerable variation in the response to the different peptides. However, the strongest and most frequent responses were seen with a few peptides from the 3'- and 5'-repeat regions. Thus, the immunodominant B cell epitope regions of Pf155/RESA, contain several T cell epitopes. Since the repeat regions are known to be conserved in different P. falciparum strains, the T cell epitopes reported here may be suitable constituents of a P. falciparum subunit vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Protozoan / analysis
  • Antigens, Protozoan / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Peptide Fragments / immunology
  • Plasmodium falciparum / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, Protozoan
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Vaccines, Synthetic