Identification of a rabies virus T cell epitope on the basis of its similarity with a hepatitis B surface antigen peptide presented to T cells by the same MHC molecule (HLA-DPw4).

The antigenic determinant recognized by a HLA-DPw4-restricted human T cell clone specific for rabies virus was identified by using a vaccinia-rabies nonstructural phosphoprotein recombinant virus and synthetic peptides of the sequence of rabies nonstructural Ag. These peptides were selected on the basis of three models that predict T cell epitopes. The antigenic determinant recognized by the rabies virus-specific T cell clone contained a five-amino acid segment highly homologous to a sequence found in a hepatitis B surface Ag epitope that stimulates human T cells in the context of the HLA-DPw4. A preliminary model of DPw4-restricted T cell determinants is elaborated based on a hypothesis of how the 2 alpha-helical peptides may bind to this MHC molecule. Results are further discussed in the context of the usefulness in identifying DPw4-restricted T cell epitopes for the production of synthetic vaccines because this MHC class II molecule is found with high frequency in the population.