Identification of a CD4 T‐cell epitope in tumor rejection antigen RLakt on BALB/c radiation‐leukemia RL male 1

We have previously shown that the RLakt antigen was predominantly recognized by CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in RL male 1-bearing or -rejected syngeneic BALB/c mice. CD8 CTL were directed to the octamer pRL1a peptide IPGLPLSL of which recognition was H-2Ld-restricted. In this study, we identified a CD4 T-cell epitope peptide in the tumor rejection antigen RLakt on BALB/c radiation-leukemia RL male 1. Analyses of the recognition of a bulk CD4 T-cell line using several recombinant RLakt proteins suggested the presence of multiple CD4 T-cell epitopes in the molecule. However, cloning from a bulk CD4 T-cell line resulted in only two clones from 200 wells seeded at three cells per well, and those two CD4 T-cell clones recognized the same epitope peptide in RLakt. The epitope peptide was 14-mer p12-25, AYREETLSIIPGLP, and its recognition was H-2IAd-restricted. This sequence overlapped with the CD8 T-cell epitope pRL1a in its N-terminal 5 amino acid residues. The relationship of the epitope to the pRL1a peptide predominantly recognized by CD8 CTL suggests that the 14-mer epitope is predominantly recognized by CD4 T-cells. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1441–1447)