The T cell response to the glycoprotein D of the herpes simplex virus: the significance of antigen conformation.

Synthetic peptides corresponding to the first 23 amino acids of the glycoprotein D molecule of herpes simplex virus have been used to immunize mice and examine the role of antigen conformation in T cell responses. The structure of the peptides was determined by circular dichroism studies and was shown to be consistent with theoretical structure predictions. T cell clones were found that could respond to peptides that were nonhelical, and this response, which was directed to the C-terminal determinant (residues 8-23), could be modified by a constrained N-terminal sequence (residues 1-7) of the peptide. Namely, substitution of Ala for Pro at position 7 induced an alpha-helix and inhibited the response. Furthermore, a response to the N-terminal part of the molecule seemed to be directed to the alpha-helix and correlated positively with calculated degree of helicity. This response was also modified, in this case, by the C-terminal part of the molecule. These results suggest that local secondary structure of an antigen may regulate T cell responses and that structural changes in the peptide antigen downstream from the determinant modify recognition of that determinant. Furthermore, antigen processing by the macrophage and antigen presentation of T cells appears to conserve antigen structural integrity.