Short communication: HIV-1 Nef protein carries multiple epitopes suitable for induction of cellular immunity for an HIV vaccine in Africa

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2014 Nov;30(11):1065-71. doi: 10.1089/AID.2013.0299. Epub 2014 Jul 16.

Abstract

Using the early protein HIV Nef, new HLA class I binding epitopes of importance for immune responses to HIV were predicted for common African alleles. In total we identified 45 epitopes previously not described for the HLA alleles A*30:01, A*30:02, B*58:01, and C*07:01 and compared them to reported epitopes, primarily from HLA-A*02:01, from the Los Alamos database and our own vaccine studies. Related to its small size, the Nef gene/protein appears to be able to contribute effectively to confer both stronger and broader cellular immunogenicity to an HIV-1 vaccine. We also propose feasible mutations of such an additional vaccine antigen to preserve its immunogenicity, modified not to confer HLA or CD4(+) down-regulating activities. This article includes data on a valuable HIV immunogenic component for a vaccine in Africa.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS Vaccines / immunology*
  • Africa
  • Alleles
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / therapy*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / genetics
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular*
  • nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / immunology*

Substances

  • AIDS Vaccines
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • nef protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1