Identification of Zika virus epitopes reveals immunodominant and protective roles for dengue virus cross-reactive CD8+ T cells

Nat Microbiol. 2017 Mar 13:2:17036. doi: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2017.36.

Abstract

CD8+ T cells play an important role in controlling Flavivirus infection, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Here, we have identified 25 HLA-B*0702-restricted epitopes and 1 HLA-A*0101-restricted epitope using interferon (IFN)-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) in ZIKV-infected IFN-α/β receptor-deficient HLA transgenic mice. The cross-reactivity of ZIKV epitopes to dengue virus (DENV) was tested using IFN-γ-ELISPOT and IFN-γ-ICS on CD8+ T cells from DENV-infected mice, and five cross-reactive HLA-B*0702-binding peptides were identified by both assays. ZIKV/DENV cross-reactive CD8+ T cells in DENV-immune mice expanded post ZIKV challenge and dominated in the subsequent CD8+ T cell response. ZIKV challenge following immunization of mice with ZIKV-specific and ZIKV/DENV cross-reactive epitopes elicited CD8+ T cell responses that reduced infectious ZIKV levels, and CD8+ T cell depletions confirmed that CD8+ T cells mediated this protection. These results identify ZIKV-specific and ZIKV/DENV cross-reactive epitopes and demonstrate both an altered immunodominance pattern in the DENV-immune setting relative to naive, as well as a protective role for epitope-specific CD8+ T cells against ZIKV. These results have important implications for ZIKV vaccine development and provide a mouse model for evaluating anti-ZIKV CD8+ T cell responses of human relevance.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cross Reactions*
  • Dengue Virus / immunology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay
  • Epitope Mapping
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • HLA-A Antigens / metabolism
  • HLA-B Antigens / metabolism
  • Interferon-gamma / analysis
  • Mice
  • Staining and Labeling
  • Zika Virus / immunology*

Substances

  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • HLA-A Antigens
  • HLA-B Antigens
  • Interferon-gamma