Efficiency of peptides and lipopeptides for in vivo priming of virus‐specific cytotoxic T cells

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Abstract
Synthetic peptides and a novel type of lipopeptide vaccine, both containing T cell epitopes recognized by Kd‐restricted, influenza virus‐specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL) were compared in their efficiency to induce virus‐specific CTL in vivo. All attempts to induce virus‐specific CTL with synthetic peptide (in the absence of adjuvants) failed. However, a latent immunization was observed, resulting in an increased response to the injected peptide seen only after boosting the recipients with immunogenic virus. In contrast, priming with synthetic lipopeptide vaccine (tripalmitoyl‐S‐glycerylcysteinyl‐seryl‐serine [P3CSS] coupled to peptide) was successful under most conditions, and matched the priming efficiency seen with infectious virus. The requirements for in vivo priming of virus‐specific CTL using lipopeptide suggest that attachment of the lipopeptide to a hydrophobic entity, such as the cell membrane, is responsible for its efficiency.