%0 Journal Article
%T Identification of Rotavirus VP6-Specific CD4+ T Cell Epitopes in a G1P[8] Human Rotavirus-Infected Rhesus Macaque
%A Wei Zhao
%A Bapi Pahar and Karol Sestak
%J Virology: Research and Treatment
%D 2012
%I 
%X A non-human primate model was used to evaluate its potential for identification of rotavirus viral protein 6 (VP6) CD4+ T cell epitopes. Four juvenile rhesus macaques were inoculated with a mixed inoculum (G1P[8] and G9P[8]) of human rotaviruses. Infection accompanied by G1P[8] shedding was achieved in the two macaques that had no rotavirus immunoglobulin A (IgA) in plasma. To measure the interferon gamma (IFN-¦Ã) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) anti-viral cytokines produced by peripheral CD4+ cells that recognize VP6 epitopes, whole blood cells from one infected macaque were stimulated in vitro with VP6 peptides. Stimulation with peptide pools derived from the simian rotavirus VP6161¨C395 region revealed reactivity of CD4+ T cells with the VP6281¨C331 domain. A VP6301¨C315 region was identified as the epitope responsible for IFN-¦Ã production while a broader VP6293¨C327 domain was linked to TNF production. These results suggest that human rotavirus-infected macaques can be used for identification of additional epitopes and domains to address specific questions related to the development of pediatric vaccines.
%U http://www.la-press.com/identification-of-rotavirus-vp6-specific-cd4-t-cell-epitopes-in-a-g1p8-article-a590