To predict the HLA-A*0201-restricted CTL epitopes of neuritin, two programs (BIMAS and SYFPEITHI), were used to scan the complete amino acid sequence of this antigen. Four highest-scored 9-amino-acid peptides were chosen as candidates for further identification (Table 1). These peptides were chemically synthesized, purified, and identified. The molecular weight of each peptide determined by mass spectrometry assay was similar to its theoretical molecular weight, and the purities of these peptides were all >95 % (data not shown).
Table 1 Predicted neuritin epitopes binding to HLA-A2.1
Position Length Sequence BIMAS score SYFPEITHI score
13–21 9 ILAVQIAYL 459.398 30
121–129 9 LLPAFPVLL 138.001 25
4–12 9 KLNGRYISL 112.153 26
127–135 9 VLLVSLSAA 71.872 25