Presentation of T-cell epitopes assembled as multiple-antigen peptides to murine and human T lymphocytes.

Multiple-antigen peptide (MAP) constructs containing different T- and B-cell epitopes were assessed for their ability to be specifically recognized by murine and human T-cell clones. The different synthetic MAP constructs consisted of a malaria T-cell epitope or of a human universal tetanus toxin helper T-cell epitope collinearly synthesized with B-cell epitopes from the circumsporozoite proteins of different malaria parasites. All constructs were able to stimulate specifically T-cell clones. Interestingly, T-cell epitopes assembled as MAP constructs did not require processing for the specific stimulation of murine and human T-cell clones, as shown by retention of their stimulatory effect in the presence of glutaraldehyde-fixed antigen-presenting cells. However, processing was required for most of the synthetic constructs containing both T- and B-cell epitopes. Thus, the requirement for processing of these constructs seems to be dictated by the nature of the B-cell epitope present.