Reverse Genetics Modification of Cytomegalovirus Antigenicity and Immunogenicity by CD8 T-Cell Epitope Deletion and Insertion
Figure 5
Sketch of a criss-cross adoptive CD8 T-cell transfer experiment for evaluating the role of viral epitope mismatch in protection against CMV disease by cellular immunotherapy. (a) Predicted result. (b) Actual result. Memory CD8 T-cell donors D-rev and D-mut were immunocompetent BALB/c mice infected 6 months earlier with mCMV-rev and mCMV-mut, respectively, expressing or lacking two immunodominant epitopes (IE1 and m164). Recipients R-rev and R-mut were immunocompromised BALB/c mice acutely infected with the respective viruses shortly after the cell transfer. Arrows indicate the direction of cell transfer. The predicted and observed efficacies of antiviral protection are qualitatively classified from very efficient (+++) to inefficient (‒). Experimental assessment of antiviral protection was performed by measuring virus replication in spleen, lungs, and liver. For experimental details and the original quantitative data, see [51].
