Cytotoxic T cells recognize a peptide from the circumsporozoite protein on malaria-infected hepatocytes.

作者：Walter R. Weiss, S Mellouk, Richard A. Houghten, Martha Sedegah, Sanjai Kumar, Michael F. Good, Jay A. Berzofsky, Louis H. Miller, Stephen L. Hoffman · 发表于：The Journal of Experimental Medicine · 年份：1990 · DOI：10.1084/jem.171.3.763 · 被引用次数：210 · 研究领域：Malaria Research and Control、Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments、Hepatitis B Virus Studies

Irradiated malaria sporozoites can induce CD8+ T cells that are required for protection against infection. However, the parasite antigens targeted by this immune response are unknown. We have discovered a 16-amino acid epitope from the Plasmodium yoelii circumsporozoite (CS) protein that is recognized by cytotoxic T cells from immune mice. Lymphocytes stimulated with this peptide can kill P. yoelii liver stage parasites in vitro in an MHC-restricted, antigen-specific manner. Thus, epitopes from the CS protein are presented on the surface of infected hepatocytes and can be targets for T cells, even though intact CS protein has not been detected on the surface of the infected hepatocyte. A vaccine that induced CTL to parasite antigens might protect humans against malaria by eliminating liver stage parasites.