Rapid epitope identification from complex class-II-restricted T-cell antigen

The identification of CD4+ T-cell epitopes is a laborious and tedious process. Various computer-assisted algorithms have been designed to assist in this process by predicting potential MHC-binding epitopes. Recently, the novel approach of using soluble MHC class II tetramers as a tool to identify T-cell epitopes has been developed successfully. We show that the T-cell epitopes identified using MHC tetramers are also predicted by a computer-assisted algorithm to bind to the same MHC molecule. We propose that epitope mapping using the MHC-tetramer-guided approach, in conjunction with predictive computer algorithms, will allow the rapid identification of T-cell epitopes from large proteins.