FIG. 1.
Mapping of a new epitope (PR82V76-84) in the HIV-1 protease gene. HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cell responses were detected by using CFC ex vivo on fresh PBMC. (a) An antigen-specific response was detected to the Pol gene using an rVV construct expressing HIV-1 Pol. (b) Using a peptide matrix made of pools of 20-mer peptides, where each peptide was present in two different pools, a response was mapped to two of the pools. (c) It was confirmed that the specific response was directed to the PR82V65-84 peptide contained within the two pools. (d) The minimal peptide was defined with short peptides to the PR82V76-84 peptide. The percentages of IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells correspond to raw data obtained in the CFC assay; background (0.01 to 0.07%) has not been subtracted.