Monoclonal antibodies to HLA class I restricted influenza epitopes (93.8)

Abstract

Abstract The immune response to viruses involves the presentation of peptide epitopes in the context of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecule. The HLA class I molecule consists of a heavy chain, a light chain, and a peptide of 9–10 amino acids that is positioned in a groove formed by the class I heavy chain. Identification of HLA class I-restricted peptide epitopes that distinguish a virus-infected cell from a non-infected cell is positioned to facilitate studies of antigen presentation, viral diagnostics, and the design of viral vaccines/therapeutics. Recently, we have directly discovered epitopes presented by the class I HLA of influenza-infected cells. Using HLA tetramers and single chain trimers (SCT) as immunogens, we have produced monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to HLA class I molecules carrying viral peptide epitopes. The peptide/HLA specificity of the mAbs was confirmed by ELISA and by flow cytometry. The results of these experiments demonstrate that mAb specific for HLA/influenza peptide epitopes could be useful for studying the dynamics of viral epitope presentation and may represent a tool for targeting viral infected cells.