Fluctuations of functionally distinct CD8+ T-cell clonotypes demonstrate flexibility of the HIV-specific TCR repertoire.

ABSTRACT: T-cell receptor (TCR) diversity of virus-specific CD8+ T cells likely helps prevent escape mutations in chronic viral infections. To understand the dynamics of the virus-specific T cells in more detail, we followed the evolution of the TCR repertoire specific for a dominant HLA-B*08-restricted epitope in Nef (FLKEKGGL) in a cohort of subjects infected with HIV. Epitope-specific CD8+ T cells used structurally diverse TCR repertoires, with different TCRbeta variable regions and with high amino acid diversity within antigen recognition sites. In a longitudinal study, distinct Vbeta populations within the HIV-specific TCR repertoire expanded simultaneously with changes in plasma viremia, whereas other Vbeta populations remained stable or even decreased. Despite antigenic variation in some subj

SUBMITTER: Meyer-Olson D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1895729 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature