In silico predicted epitopes from the COOH-terminal extension of cysteine proteinase B inducing distinct immune responses during Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis experimental murine infection

• Published in: BMC immunology Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 44
• Main Authors: Pereira, Bernardo A S, Silva, Franklin S, Rebello, Karina M, Marín-Villa, Marcel, Traub-Cseko, Yara M, Andrade, Thereza C B, Bertho, Álvaro L, Caffarena, Ernesto R, Alves, Carlos R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 08-08-2011; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Analysis; Animals; Antigenic determinants; Base Sequence; Cysteine Proteases - genetics; Cysteine Proteases - immunology; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Epitopes - genetics; Epitopes - immunology; Epitopes - metabolism; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte - genetics; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte - immunology; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte - metabolism; Female; H-2 Antigens - immunology; H-2 Antigens - metabolism; Health aspects; Immune response; Leishmania; Leishmania mexicana - immunology; Leishmania mexicana - pathogenicity; Leishmaniasis - immunology; Leishmaniasis - parasitology; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Lymph Nodes - metabolism; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred CBA; Molecular Sequence Data; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Peptides; Physiological aspects; Protein Binding - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Brazil
• ISSN: 1471-2172; 1471-2172
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2172-12-44

Leishmania parasites have been reported to interfere and even subvert their host immune responses to enhance their chances of survival and proliferation. Experimental Leishmania infection in mice has been widely used in the identification of specific parasite virulence factors involved in the interaction with the host immune system. Cysteine-proteinase B (CPB) is an important virulence factor in parasites from the Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana complex: it inhibits lymphocytes Th1 and/or promotes Th2 responses either through proteolytic activity or through epitopes derived from its COOH-terminal extension. In the present study we analyzed the effects of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis CPB COOH-terminal extension-derived peptides on cell cultures from murine strains with distinct levels of susceptibility to infection: BALB/c, highly susceptible, and CBA, mildly resistant.
Predicted epitopes, obtained by in silico mapping, displayed the ability to induce cell proliferation and expression of cytokines related to Th1 and Th2 responses. Furthermore, we applied in silico simulations to investigate how the MHC/epitopes interactions could be related to the immunomodulatory effects on cytokines, finding evidence that specific interaction patterns can be related to in vitro activities.
Based on our results, we consider that some peptides from the CPB COOH-terminal extension may influence host immune responses in the murine infection, thus helping Leishmania survival.