Kinetics of Antigen Expression and Epitope Presentation during Virus Infection

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003129
• Publication Date: 2013-01-31T21:53:21Z
• Authors: Nathan P. Croft; Stewart A. Smith; Yik Chun Wong; Chor Teck Tan; Nadine L. Dudek; Inge E. A. Flesch; Leon C. W. Lin; David C. Tscharke; Anthony W. Purcell
• Keywords: Immunodominance; Antigen processing; Subdominant

Current knowledge about the dynamics of antigen presentation to T cells during viral infection is very poor despite being fundamental importance our understanding anti-viral immunity. Here we use an advanced mass spectrometry method simultaneously quantify eight vaccinia virus peptide-MHC complexes (epitopes) on infected and amounts their source antigens at multiple times after infection. The results show a startling 1000-fold range in abundance as well strikingly different kinetics across epitopes monitored. tight correlation between onset protein expression epitope display for most provides strongest support date that largely linked translation not later degradation antigens. Finally, complete disconnect immunodominance hierarchy these epitopes. This study highlights complexity by host demonstrates weakness simple models assume total levels are directly immunogenicity.