Variation at Extra-epitopic Amino Acid Residues Influences Suppression of Influenza Virus Replication by M1 Epitope-Specific CD8 T Lymphocytes.

Influenza virus-specific CD8 T lymphocytes (CTLs) contribute to clearance of influenza virus infections and reduce disease severity. Variation at amino acid residues located in or outside CTL epitopes has been shown to affect viral recognition by virus-specific CTLs. In the present study, we investigated the effect of naturally occurring variation at residues outside the conserved immunodominant and HLA0201-restricted M1 epitope, located in the influenza virus M1 protein, on the extent of virus replication in the presence of CTLs specific for the epitope. To this end, we used isogenic viruses with an M1 gene segment derived from either an avian or a human influenza virus, HLA-transgenic human epithelial cells, human T cell clones specific for the M1 epitope or a control epitope, and a novel, purposely developed system to coculture influenza virus-infected cells with T cells. We found that the M gene segment of a human influenza A/H3N2 virus afforded the virus the capacity to replicate better in the presence of M1-specific CTLs than the M gene segment of avian viruses. These findings are in concordance with previously observed differential CTL activation, caused by variation at extra-epitopic residues, and may reflect an immune adaptation strategy of human influenza viruses that allows them to cope with potent CTL immunity to the M1 epitope in HLA-A0201-positive individuals, resulting in increased virus replication and shedding and possibly increasing disease severity. Influenza viruses are among the leading causes of acute respiratory tract infections. CD8 T lymphocytes display a high degree of cross-reactivity with influenza A viruses of various subtypes and are considered an important correlate of protection. Unraveling viral immune evasion strategies and identifying signs of immune adaptation are important for defining the role of CD8 T lymphocytes in affording protection more accurately. Improving our insight into the interaction between influenza viruses and virus-specific CD8 T lymphocyte immunity may help to advance our understanding of influenza virus epidemiology, aid in risk assessment of potentially pandemic influenza virus strains, and benefit the design of vaccines that induce more broadly protective immunity.