Genetic regulation of the immune response to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) . VI. T cell fine specificity
Milich, D.R.; Peterson, D.L.; Leroux-Roels, G.G.; Lerner, R.A.; Chisari, F.V.
Journal of Immunology 134(6): 4203-4211
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 2580909 Document Number: 248327
The structural requirements for T-cell recognition of HBsAg were compared with those for B-cell (antibody) recognition of HBsAg. Also, an attempt was made to map the determinants on HBsAg required for activation of HBsAg-primed T cells, and to examine the influence of I-region genotype on the observed T-cell antigenic fine specificity. The results indicate clear differences between T-cell and B-cell recognition of HBsAg. T-cell activation required significantly less native structure as compared with antibody binding to HBsAg. Furthermore, the results suggest that T-cell recognition sites on HBsAg do not necessarily overlap with B-cell recognition sites. Examination of T-cell fine specificity in a series of H-2 congenic strains, with the use of HBsAg, P25, tryptic fragments of P25, and synthetic peptides, revealed multiple T-cell recognition sites on HBsAg, and the particular site(s) recognised is dependent on the H-2 genotype of the responding strain. [For Pt. V see pp. 4194-4202 of the same number of the journal].