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Tiezzi C, Vecchi A, Rossi M, Cavazzini D, Bolchi A, Laccabue D, Doselli S, Penna A, Sacchelli L, Brillo F, Meschi T, Ticinesi A, Nouvenne A, Donofrio G, Zanelli P, Benecchi M, Giuliodori S, Fisicaro P, Montali I, Ceccatelli Berti C, Reverberi V, Montali A, Urbani S, Pedrazzi G, Missale G, Telenti A, Corti D, Ottonello S, Ferrari C, Boni C. Natural heteroclitic-like peptides are generated by SARS-CoV-2 mutations. iScience 2023; 26:106940. [PMID: 37275517 PMCID: PMC10200277 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Humoral immunity is sensitive to evasion by SARS-CoV-2 mutants, but CD8 T cells seem to be more resistant to mutational inactivation. By a systematic analysis of 30 spike variant peptides containing the most relevant VOC and VOI mutations that have accumulated overtime, we show that in vaccinated and convalescent subjects, mutated epitopes can have not only a neutral or inhibitory effect on CD8 T cell recognition but can also enhance or generate de novo CD8 T cell responses. The emergence of these mutated T cell function enhancing epitopes likely reflects an epiphenomenon of SARS-CoV-2 evolution driven by antibody evasion and increased virus transmissibility. In a subset of individuals with weak and narrowly focused CD8 T cell responses selection of these heteroclitic-like epitopes may bear clinical relevance by improving antiviral protection. The functional enhancing effect of these peptides is also worth of consideration for the future development of new generation, more potent COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Tiezzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchi
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Marzia Rossi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Davide Cavazzini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Angelo Bolchi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Interdepartmental Center Biopharmanet-Tec, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Diletta Laccabue
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Sara Doselli
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Amalia Penna
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Sacchelli
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Federica Brillo
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Tiziana Meschi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Geriatric-Rehabilitation Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Ticinesi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Geriatric-Rehabilitation Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Antonio Nouvenne
- Geriatric-Rehabilitation Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Gaetano Donofrio
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Paola Zanelli
- Unità di Immunogenetica dei Trapianti, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Magda Benecchi
- Unità di Immunogenetica dei Trapianti, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Giuliodori
- Unità di Immunogenetica dei Trapianti, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Paola Fisicaro
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Ilaria Montali
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Reverberi
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Anna Montali
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Simona Urbani
- UO Immunoematologia e Medicina Trasfusionale, Dipartimento Diagnostico, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pedrazzi
- Department of Neuroscience - Biophysics and Medical Physics Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Gabriele Missale
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Davide Corti
- Humabs Biomed SA, a subsidiary of Vir Biotechnology, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Simone Ottonello
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Interdepartmental Center Biopharmanet-Tec, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Carlo Ferrari
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Carolina Boni
- Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
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Smith AR, Alonso JA, Ayres CM, Singh NK, Hellman LM, Baker BM. Structurally silent peptide anchor modifications allosterically modulate T cell recognition in a receptor-dependent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2018125118. [PMID: 33468649 PMCID: PMC7848747 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018125118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Presentation of peptides by class I MHC proteins underlies T cell immune responses to pathogens and cancer. The association between peptide binding affinity and immunogenicity has led to the engineering of modified peptides with improved MHC binding, with the hope that these peptides would be useful for eliciting cross-reactive immune responses directed toward their weak binding, unmodified counterparts. Increasing evidence, however, indicates that T cell receptors (TCRs) can perceive such anchor-modified peptides differently than wild-type (WT) peptides, although the scope of discrimination is unclear. We show here that even modifications at primary anchors that have no discernible structural impact can lead to substantially stronger or weaker T cell recognition depending on the TCR. Surprisingly, the effect of peptide anchor modification can be sensed by a TCR at regions distant from the site of modification, indicating a through-protein mechanism in which the anchor residue serves as an allosteric modulator for TCR binding. Our findings emphasize caution in the use and interpretation of results from anchor-modified peptides and have implications for how anchor modifications are accounted for in other circumstances, such as predicting the immunogenicity of tumor neoantigens. Our data also highlight an important need to better understand the highly tunable dynamic nature of class I MHC proteins and the impact this has on various forms of immune recognition.
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MESH Headings
- Allosteric Regulation
- Binding Sites
- Cloning, Molecular
- Crystallography, X-Ray
- Escherichia coli/genetics
- Escherichia coli/metabolism
- Gene Expression
- Genetic Vectors/chemistry
- Genetic Vectors/metabolism
- HLA-A2 Antigen/chemistry
- HLA-A2 Antigen/genetics
- HLA-A2 Antigen/immunology
- Humans
- Jurkat Cells
- Kinetics
- Models, Molecular
- Peptides/chemistry
- Peptides/genetics
- Peptides/immunology
- Protein Binding
- Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical
- Protein Conformation, beta-Strand
- Protein Engineering
- Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Recombinant Proteins/chemistry
- Recombinant Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Proteins/immunology
- Th2 Cells/cytology
- Th2 Cells/immunology
- Thermodynamics
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Jesus A Alonso
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Cory M Ayres
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Nishant K Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Lance M Hellman
- Department of Physical and Life Sciences, Nevada State College, Henderson, NV 89002
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556;
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
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In silico design of knowledge-based Plasmodium falciparum epitope ensemble vaccines. J Mol Graph Model 2017; 78:195-205. [PMID: 29100164 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a global health burden, and a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Africa. Here we designed a putative malaria epitope ensemble vaccine by selecting an optimal set of pathogen epitopes. From the IEDB database, 584 experimentally-verified CD8+ epitopes and 483 experimentally-verified CD4+ epitopes were collected; 89% of which were found in 8 proteins. Using the PVS server, highly conserved epitopes were identified from variability analysis of multiple alignments of Plasmodium falciparum protein sequences. The allele-dependent binding of epitopes was then assessed using IEDB analysis tools, from which the population protection coverage of single and combined epitopes was estimated. Ten conserved epitopes from four well-studied antigens were found to have a coverage of 97.9% of the world population: 7 CD8+ T cell epitopes (LLMDCSGSI, FLIFFDLFLV, LLACAGLAYK, TPYAGEPAPF, LLACAGLAY, SLKKNSRSL, and NEVVVKEEY) and 3 CD4+ T cell epitopes (MRKLAILSVSSFLFV, KSKYKLATSVLAGLL and GLAYKFVVPGAATPYE). The addition of four heteroclitic peptides - single point mutated epitopes - increased HLA binding affinity and raised the predicted world population coverage above 99%.
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Aberrant Glycosylation of Anchor-Optimized MUC1 Peptides Can Enhance Antigen Binding Affinity and Reverse Tolerance to Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes. Biomolecules 2016; 6:biom6030031. [PMID: 27367740 PMCID: PMC5039417 DOI: 10.3390/biom6030031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer vaccines have often failed to live up to their promise, although recent results with checkpoint inhibitors are reviving hopes that they will soon fulfill their promise. Although mutation-specific vaccines are under development, there is still high interest in an off-the-shelf vaccine to a ubiquitous antigen, such as MUC1, which is aberrantly expressed on most solid and many hematological tumors, including more than 90% of breast carcinomas. Clinical trials for MUC1 have shown variable success, likely because of immunological tolerance to a self-antigen and to poor immunogenicity of tandem repeat peptides. We hypothesized that MUC1 peptides could be optimized, relying on heteroclitic optimizations of potential anchor amino acids with and without tumor-specific glycosylation of the peptides. We have identified novel MUC1 class I peptides that bind to HLA-A*0201 molecules with significantly higher affinity and function than the native MUC1 peptides. These peptides elicited CTLs from normal donors, as well as breast cancer patients, which were highly effective in killing MUC1-expressing MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Each peptide elicited lytic responses in greater than 6/8 of normal individuals and 3/3 breast cancer patients. The CTLs generated against the glycosylated-anchor modified peptides cross reacted with the native MUC1 peptide, STAPPVHNV, suggesting these analog peptides may offer substantial improvement in the design of epitope-based vaccines.
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