This 9-mer peptides bound with high affinity to HLA-A*0201 and displayed low dissociation rates of the bound peptide from HLA. Epitope-specific recognition was demonstrated by the release of perforin and [gamma]-interferon. This peptide demonstrate the presence of HLA class I-restricted CD8+ CTL against proteins from PE and PPE proteins of M. tuberculosis and identify epitopes that are strongly recognized by HLA-A*0201-restricted CD8+ T cells in humans. These epitopes thus represent potential subunit components for the design of vaccines against tuberculosis.