Tumor-associated E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 16 contains an unusual H-2Kb-restricted cytotoxic T cell epitope.

We previously showed that CTL from H-2b mice immunized against the E6 protein of human papilloma virus (HPV) type 16 recognized a 10-mer peptide corresponding to amino acids 131 to 140. We show in this study that the minimal epitope, 130 to 137, is a 8-mer peptide presented by H-2Kb class I molecules. At position P8, the 130 to 137 peptide contains a hydrophobic methionine anchor residue, but P3 and P5 do not contain the typical anchor residues that are frequently found in Kb-bound peptides. Analysis with alanine-substituted peptides indicates that the tryptophan at P3 acts as an alternative anchor mediating Kb binding, while an arginine at P2 is a TCR contact residue. Synthetic 9-mer peptides corresponding to residues 130 to 138 are as efficiently recognized by CTL as 130 to 137 peptides. Analysis of extracts of E6-expressing cells suggests that Ag processing may produce multiple peptides containing the minimal 130 to 137 epitope. In vitro binding studies indicate that Kb binding of peptide 130 to 137 is approximately five orders of magnitude less efficient than Kb binding of previously identified CTL epitopes. In contrast, the E6 protein contains another potential CTL epitope in the region of amino acids 41 to 50. A synthetic peptide spanning this region binds very strongly to Kb and is capable of stimulating a strong peptide-specific CTL response. In the context of the whole protein, however, this epitope remains cryptic.