Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast Asia

Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), numerous T-cell epitopes in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteome have been reported. However, most of the identified CD8+ T-cell epitopes have been restricted primarily by HLA-A allotypes. The epitopes res...

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Main Authors: Yu Zhao, Min Peng, Chengtao He, Min Li, Xuelian Han, Qiang Fu, Yandan Wu, Fangping Yue, Chunguang Yan, Guangyu Zhao, Chuanlai Shen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1545510/full
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author Yu Zhao
Min Peng
Chengtao He
Min Li
Min Li
Xuelian Han
Xuelian Han
Qiang Fu
Yandan Wu
Fangping Yue
Chunguang Yan
Guangyu Zhao
Guangyu Zhao
Chuanlai Shen
author_facet Yu Zhao
Min Peng
Chengtao He
Min Li
Min Li
Xuelian Han
Xuelian Han
Qiang Fu
Yandan Wu
Fangping Yue
Chunguang Yan
Guangyu Zhao
Guangyu Zhao
Chuanlai Shen
author_sort Yu Zhao
collection DOAJ
description Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), numerous T-cell epitopes in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteome have been reported. However, most of the identified CD8+ T-cell epitopes have been restricted primarily by HLA-A allotypes. The epitopes restricted by HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes are limited. This study focuses on the screening of T-cell epitopes restricted by 13 prevalent HLA-B and 13 prevalent HLA-C allotypes, which cover over 70% and 90% of the Chinese and Northeast Asian populations, respectively. Totally, 67 HLA-B restricted and 53 HLA-C restricted epitopes were validated as immunogenic epitopes with a herd predominance rate by peptide-PBMCs ex vivo coculture experiments using the PBMCs from convalescent Chinese cohort. In addition, 26 transfected cell lines expressing indicated HLA-B or HLA-C allotype were established, and used in the competitive peptide binding assays to define the affinities and cross-restriction of each validated epitope binding to HLA-B or HLA-C allotypes. These data will facilitate the design of T-cell-directed vaccines and SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell detection tools tailored to the Northeast Asian population. The herd test of functionally validated T-cell epitopes, and the competitive peptide binding assay onto cell line array expressing prevalent HLA allotypes may serve as an additional criterion for selecting T-cell epitopes used in vaccine.
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spelling doaj-art-f14bffff63f14fa8b89dcecf0d0634f52025-08-20T03:47:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-05-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15455101545510Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast AsiaYu Zhao0Min Peng1Chengtao He2Min Li3Min Li4Xuelian Han5Xuelian Han6Qiang Fu7Yandan Wu8Fangping Yue9Chunguang Yan10Guangyu Zhao11Guangyu Zhao12Chuanlai Shen13Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaBlood Group Reference Laboratory, Nanjing Red Cross Blood Center, Nanjing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, ChinaLaboratory of Advanced Biotechnology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, ChinaLaboratory of Advanced Biotechnology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, ChinaBlood Group Reference Laboratory, Nanjing Red Cross Blood Center, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, ChinaLaboratory of Advanced Biotechnology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaSince the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), numerous T-cell epitopes in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteome have been reported. However, most of the identified CD8+ T-cell epitopes have been restricted primarily by HLA-A allotypes. The epitopes restricted by HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes are limited. This study focuses on the screening of T-cell epitopes restricted by 13 prevalent HLA-B and 13 prevalent HLA-C allotypes, which cover over 70% and 90% of the Chinese and Northeast Asian populations, respectively. Totally, 67 HLA-B restricted and 53 HLA-C restricted epitopes were validated as immunogenic epitopes with a herd predominance rate by peptide-PBMCs ex vivo coculture experiments using the PBMCs from convalescent Chinese cohort. In addition, 26 transfected cell lines expressing indicated HLA-B or HLA-C allotype were established, and used in the competitive peptide binding assays to define the affinities and cross-restriction of each validated epitope binding to HLA-B or HLA-C allotypes. These data will facilitate the design of T-cell-directed vaccines and SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell detection tools tailored to the Northeast Asian population. The herd test of functionally validated T-cell epitopes, and the competitive peptide binding assay onto cell line array expressing prevalent HLA allotypes may serve as an additional criterion for selecting T-cell epitopes used in vaccine.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1545510/fullSARS-CoV-2HLA-B allotypeHLA-C allotypeT-cell epitopevaccine
spellingShingle Yu Zhao
Min Peng
Chengtao He
Min Li
Min Li
Xuelian Han
Xuelian Han
Qiang Fu
Yandan Wu
Fangping Yue
Chunguang Yan
Guangyu Zhao
Guangyu Zhao
Chuanlai Shen
Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast Asia
Frontiers in Immunology
SARS-CoV-2
HLA-B allotype
HLA-C allotype
T-cell epitope
vaccine
title Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast Asia
title_full Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast Asia
title_fullStr Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast Asia
title_full_unstemmed Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast Asia
title_short Predominant T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 restricted by multiple prevalent HLA-B and HLA-C allotypes in Northeast Asia
title_sort predominant t cell epitopes of sars cov 2 restricted by multiple prevalent hla b and hla c allotypes in northeast asia
topic SARS-CoV-2
HLA-B allotype
HLA-C allotype
T-cell epitope
vaccine
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1545510/full
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