Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
Ab and T cell epitopes of influenza A virus, knowledge and opportunities
[SIZE=+2]http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/104/1/246
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[SIZE=+2][SIZE=+2]http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/104/1/246
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<nobr>Huynh-Hoa Bui<sup>*</sup></nobr>, <nobr>Bjoern Peters<sup>*</sup></nobr>, <nobr>Erika Assarsson<sup>*</sup></nobr>, <nobr>Innocent Mbawuike<sup>
</sup></nobr>, and <nobr>Alessandro Sette<sup>*</sup><sup>,
</sup></nobr>
*Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037; and <sup>
</sup>Department of Molecular Virology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
Communicated by Howard M. Grey, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, CA, November 1, 2006 (received for review October 1, 2006)
<!-- ABS --> The Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resources (IEDB)
(www.immuneepitope.org)<sup> </sup>was recently developed to capture epitope related data.
IEDB<sup> </sup>also hosts various bioinformatics tools that can be used to<sup> </sup>identify novel epitopes as well as to analyze and visualize<sup> </sup>existing epitope data.
Herein, a comprehensive analysis was<sup> </sup>undertaken (i) to compile and inventory existing knowledge regarding<sup> </sup>influenza A epitopes and (ii) to determine possible cross-reactivities<sup> </sup>of identified epitopes among avian H5N1 and human influenza<sup> </sup>strains.
At present, IEDB contains >600 different epitopes<sup> </sup>derived from 58 different strains and 10 influenza A proteins.<sup> </sup>By using the IEDB analysis resources, conservancy analyses were<sup> </sup>performed, and several conserved and possibly cross-reactive<sup> </sup>epitopes were identified.
Significant gaps in the current knowledge<sup> </sup>were also revealed, including paucity of Ab epitopes in comparison<sup> </sup>with T cell epitopes, limited number of epitopes reported for<sup> </sup>avian influenza strains/subtypes, and limited number of epitopes<sup> </sup>reported from proteins other than hemagglutinin and nucleoprotein.<sup> </sup>
This analysis provides a resource for researchers to access<sup> </sup>existing influenza epitope data. At the same time, the analysis<sup> </sup>illustrates gaps in our collective knowledge that should inspire<sup> </sup>directions for further study of immunity against the influenza<sup> </sup>A virus.
<sup> </sup>
[SIZE=-1]B lymphocytes | T lymphocytes | conservancy | pandemic cross-reactivity[/SIZE]
<hr align="left" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="50%"> <!-- FN --> <!-- null --> Author contributions: A.S. designed research; H.-H.B. and B.P.<sup> </sup>contributed new reagents/analytic tools; H.-H.B., B.P., E.A.,<sup> </sup>and I.M. analyzed data; and H.-H.B. and E.A. wrote the paper.<sup> </sup> <!-- null --> The authors declare no conflict of interest.<sup> </sup>
<!-- null --> This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0609330104/DC1.
*Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037; and <sup>
Communicated by Howard M. Grey, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, CA, November 1, 2006 (received for review October 1, 2006)
<!-- ABS --> The Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resources (IEDB)
(www.immuneepitope.org)<sup> </sup>was recently developed to capture epitope related data.
IEDB<sup> </sup>also hosts various bioinformatics tools that can be used to<sup> </sup>identify novel epitopes as well as to analyze and visualize<sup> </sup>existing epitope data.
Herein, a comprehensive analysis was<sup> </sup>undertaken (i) to compile and inventory existing knowledge regarding<sup> </sup>influenza A epitopes and (ii) to determine possible cross-reactivities<sup> </sup>of identified epitopes among avian H5N1 and human influenza<sup> </sup>strains.
At present, IEDB contains >600 different epitopes<sup> </sup>derived from 58 different strains and 10 influenza A proteins.<sup> </sup>By using the IEDB analysis resources, conservancy analyses were<sup> </sup>performed, and several conserved and possibly cross-reactive<sup> </sup>epitopes were identified.
Significant gaps in the current knowledge<sup> </sup>were also revealed, including paucity of Ab epitopes in comparison<sup> </sup>with T cell epitopes, limited number of epitopes reported for<sup> </sup>avian influenza strains/subtypes, and limited number of epitopes<sup> </sup>reported from proteins other than hemagglutinin and nucleoprotein.<sup> </sup>
This analysis provides a resource for researchers to access<sup> </sup>existing influenza epitope data. At the same time, the analysis<sup> </sup>illustrates gaps in our collective knowledge that should inspire<sup> </sup>directions for further study of immunity against the influenza<sup> </sup>A virus.
<sup> </sup>
[SIZE=-1]B lymphocytes | T lymphocytes | conservancy | pandemic cross-reactivity[/SIZE]
<hr align="left" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="50%"> <!-- FN --> <!-- null --> Author contributions: A.S. designed research; H.-H.B. and B.P.<sup> </sup>contributed new reagents/analytic tools; H.-H.B., B.P., E.A.,<sup> </sup>and I.M. analyzed data; and H.-H.B. and E.A. wrote the paper.<sup> </sup> <!-- null --> The authors declare no conflict of interest.<sup> </sup>
<!-- null --> This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0609330104/DC1.
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</td><td class="content_box_item"> Full Text </td></tr> <tr><td class="content_box_arrow" valign="top" width="4">
</td><td class="content_box_item"> Full Text (PDF) </td></tr> <tr><td class="content_box_arrow" valign="top" width="4">
</td><td class="content_box_item"> Supporting Information</td></tr></tbody></table>
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