1
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Notti RQ, Yi F, Heissel S, Bush MW, Molvi Z, Das P, Molina H, Klebanoff CA, Walz T. The resting and ligand-bound states of the membrane-embedded human T-cell receptor-CD3 complex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.22.554360. [PMID: 37662363 PMCID: PMC10473723 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.22.554360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The T-cell receptor (TCR) initiates T-lymphocyte activation, but mechanistic questions remain( 1-4 ). Here, we present cryogenic electron microscopy structures for the unliganded and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-bound human TCR-CD3 complex in nanodiscs that provide a native-like lipid environment. Distinct from the "open and extended" conformation seen in detergent( 5-8 ), the unliganded TCR-CD3 in nanodiscs adopts two related "closed and compacted" conformations that represent its physiologic resting state in vivo . By contrast, the HLA-bound complex adopts the open and extended conformation, and conformation-locking disulfide mutants show that ectodomain opening is necessary for maximal ligand-dependent T-cell activation. Together, these results reveal allosteric conformational change during TCR activation and highlight the importance of native-like lipid environments for membrane protein structure determination.
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2
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Zhang M, Wang X, Wu J, Wang Q, Cui H, Chen X, Zhao Z, Liu S, Ye S. Preparation empty peptide-receptive MHC class I complex for large-scale detection through photolabile peptide ligands. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 276:133781. [PMID: 38992528 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) multimers are wide recognized as the premier technique for detecting, characterizing, and isolating antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell subsets. These multimers are specifically useful in studying infections, autoimmune conditions, and cancer through single-cell analysis techniques such as flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. However, the development of high-throughput assays with commercially available pMHC tetramers can be expensive, while in-house production may pose challenges for most biology research laboratories. In this context, we introduce a cost-friendly and uncomplicated protocol to prepare empty MHC class I tetramers using disulfide-stabilized molecules and photolabile peptide ligands. Our method relies on disulfide bond-stabilized MHC-I molecules, which demonstrated stability when folded into stable monomers in the presence of a photolabile epitope. These monomers, upon ultraviolet irradiation and streptavidin binding, efficiently assemble into tetramers devoid of any peptide. Following a short incubation with the peptide of interest under gentle conditions, the resulting pMHC tetramer effectively detects patient-sourced, neoantigen-specific T cells. Our unique approach streamlines large-scale pMHC generation, thus paving the way for advancements in T cell-based diagnostics and personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyu Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xiangyao Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Junjie Wu
- Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Qiwei Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Haozhe Cui
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaofeng Chen
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhiming Zhao
- The Faculty of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Si Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Sheng Ye
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
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3
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Patel A, Kutuzov MA, Dustin ML, van der Merwe PA, Dushek O. Regulation of temporal cytokine production by co-stimulation receptors in TCR-T cells is lost in CAR-T cells. IMMUNOTHERAPY ADVANCES 2024; 4:ltae004. [PMID: 38978751 PMCID: PMC11228853 DOI: 10.1093/immadv/ltae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells contribute to immune responses by producing cytokines when their T-cell receptors (TCRs) recognise peptide antigens on major-histocompability-complex class I. However, excessive cytokine production can be harmful. For example, cytokine release syndrome is a common toxicity observed in treatments that activate T cells, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy. While the engagement of costimulatory receptors is well known to enhance cytokine production, we have limited knowledge of their ability to regulate the kinetics of cytokine production by CAR-T cells. Here we compare early (0-12 h) and late (12-20 h) production of IFN-gg, IL-2, and TNF-a production by T cells stimulated via TCR or CARs in the presence or absence ligands for CD2, LFA-1, CD28, CD27, and 4-1BB. For T cells expressing TCRs and 1st-generation CARs, activation by antigen alone was sufficient to stimulate early cytokine production, while co-stimulation by CD2 and 4-1BB was required to maintain late cytokine production. In contrast, T cells expressing 2nd-generation CARs, which have intrinsic costimulatory signalling motifs, produce high levels of cytokines in both early and late periods in the absence of costimulatory receptor ligands. Losing the requirement for costimulation for sustained cytokine production may contribute to the effectiveness and/or toxicity of 2nd-generation CAR-T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashna Patel
- The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Mikhail A Kutuzov
- The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Michael L Dustin
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | | | - Omer Dushek
- The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
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4
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Ma J, Ayres CM, Brambley CA, Chandran SS, Rosales TJ, Corcelli SA, Kovrigin EL, Klebanoff CA, Baker BM. Dynamic allostery in the peptide/MHC complex enables TCR neoantigen selectivity. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4457195. [PMID: 38854019 PMCID: PMC11160895 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4457195/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The inherent cross-reactivity of the T cell receptor (TCR) is balanced by high specificity, which often manifests in confounding ways not easily interpretable from static structures. We show here that TCR discrimination between an HLA-A*03:01 (HLA-A3)-restricted public neoantigen derived from mutant PIK3CA and its wild-type (WT) counterpart emerges from motions within the HLA binding groove that vary with the identity of the peptide's first primary anchor. The motions form a dynamic gate that in the complex with the WT peptide impedes a large conformational change required for TCR binding. The more rigid neoantigen is insusceptible to this limiting dynamic, and with the gate open, is able to transit its central tryptophan residue underneath the peptide backbone to the contralateral side of the HLA-A3 peptide binding groove, facilitating TCR binding. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism driving TCR specificity for a cancer neoantigen that is rooted in the dynamic and allosteric nature of peptide/MHC-I complexes, with implications for resolving long-standing and often confounding questions about the determinants of T cell specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Cory M Ayres
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Chad A Brambley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Smita S Chandran
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
- Center for Cell Engineering, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tatiana J Rosales
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Steven A Corcelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Evgenii L Kovrigin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Christopher A Klebanoff
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
- Center for Cell Engineering, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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5
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Brunnberg J, Barends M, Frühschulz S, Winter C, Battin C, de Wet B, Cole DK, Steinberger P, Tampé R. Dual role of the peptide-loading complex as proofreader and limiter of MHC-I presentation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321600121. [PMID: 38771881 PMCID: PMC11145271 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321600121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Antigen presentation via major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules is essential for surveillance by the adaptive immune system. Central to this process is the peptide-loading complex (PLC), which translocates peptides from the cytosol to the endoplasmic reticulum and catalyzes peptide loading and proofreading of peptide-MHC-I (pMHC-I) complexes. Despite its importance, the impact of individual PLC components on the presented pMHC-I complexes is still insufficiently understood. Here, we used stoichiometrically defined antibody-nanobody complexes and engineered soluble T cell receptors (sTCRs) to quantify different MHC-I allomorphs and defined pMHC-I complexes, respectively. Thereby, we uncovered distinct effects of individual PLC components on the pMHC-I surface pool. Knockouts of components of the PLC editing modules, namely tapasin, ERp57, or calreticulin, changed the MHC-I surface composition to a reduced proportion of HLA-A*02:01 presentation compensated by a higher ratio of HLA-B*40:01 molecules. Intriguingly, these knockouts not only increased the presentation of suboptimally loaded HLA-A*02:01 complexes but also elevated the presentation of high-affinity peptides overexpressed in the cytosol. Our findings suggest that the components of the PLC editing module serve a dual role, acting not only as peptide proofreaders but also as limiters for abundant peptides. This dual function ensures the presentation of a broad spectrum of antigenic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamina Brunnberg
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
| | - Martina Barends
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
| | - Stefan Frühschulz
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
| | - Christian Winter
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
| | - Claire Battin
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna1090, Austria
| | - Ben de Wet
- Immunocore Ltd., AbingdonOX14 4RY, United Kingdom
| | | | - Peter Steinberger
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna1090, Austria
| | - Robert Tampé
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main60438, Germany
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6
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Stefanidis E, Semilietof A, Pujol J, Seijo B, Scholten K, Zoete V, Michielin O, Sandaltzopoulos R, Coukos G, Irving M. Combining SiRPα decoy-coengineered T cells and antibodies augments macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of tumor cells. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e161660. [PMID: 38828721 PMCID: PMC11142748 DOI: 10.1172/jci161660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of T cell receptor-engineered (TCR-engineered) T cells (ACT) targeting the HLA-A2-restricted cancer-testis epitope NY-ESO-1157-165 (A2/NY) has yielded favorable clinical responses against several cancers. Two approaches to improve ACT are TCR affinity optimization and T cell coengineering to express immunomodulatory molecules that can exploit endogenous immunity. By computational design we previously developed a panel of binding-enhanced A2/NY-TCRs including A97L, which augmented the in vitro function of gene-modified T cells as compared with WT. Here, we demonstrated higher persistence and improved tumor control by A97L-T cells. In order to harness macrophages in tumors, we further coengineered A97L-T cells to secrete a high-affinity signal regulatory protein α (SiRPα) decoy (CV1) that blocks CD47. While CV1-Fc-coengineered A97L-T cells mediated significantly better control of tumor outgrowth and survival in Winn assays, in subcutaneous xenograft models the T cells, coated by CV1-Fc, were depleted. Importantly, there was no phagocytosis of CV1 monomer-coengineered T cells by human macrophages. Moreover, avelumab and cetuximab enhanced macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of tumor cells in vitro in the presence of CV1 and improved tumor control upon coadministration with A97L-T cells. Taken together, our study indicates important clinical promise for harnessing macrophages by combining CV1-coengineered TCR-T cells with targeted antibodies to direct phagocytosis against tumor cells.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Humans
- Mice
- Antigens, Differentiation/immunology
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- CD47 Antigen/immunology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- HLA-A2 Antigen/immunology
- HLA-A2 Antigen/genetics
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Macrophages/immunology
- Macrophages/metabolism
- Phagocytosis
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Immunologic/immunology
- Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
- Receptors, Immunologic/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Male
- Female
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos Stefanidis
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Semilietof
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Pujol
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bili Seijo
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten Scholten
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Zoete
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Michielin
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Precision Oncology, University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Sandaltzopoulos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - George Coukos
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melita Irving
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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7
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Sharma S, Whitehead T, Kotowski M, Ng EZQ, Clarke J, Leitner J, Chen YL, Santos AM, Steinberger P, Davis SJ. A high-throughput two-cell assay for interrogating inhibitory signaling pathways in T cells. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302359. [PMID: 38073578 PMCID: PMC10703992 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent success of immunotherapies relying on manipulation of T-cell activation highlights the value of characterising the mediators of immune checkpoint signaling. CRISPR/Cas9 is a popular approach for interrogating signaling pathways; however, the lack of appropriate assays for studying inhibitory signaling in T cells is limiting the use of large-scale perturbation-based approaches. Here, we adapted an existing Jurkat cell-based transcriptional reporter assay to study both activatory and inhibitory (PD-1-mediated) T-cell signaling using CRISPR-based genome screening in arrayed and pooled formats. We targeted 64 SH2 domain-containing proteins expressed by Jurkat T cells in an arrayed screen, in which individual targets could be assessed independently, showing that arrays can be used to study mediators of both activatory and inhibitory signaling. Pooled screens succeeded in simultaneously identifying many of the known mediators of proximal activating and inhibitory T-cell signaling, including SHP2 and PD-1, confirming the utility of the method. Altogether, the data suggested that SHP2 is the major PD-1-specific, SH2 family mediator of inhibitory signaling. These approaches should allow the systematic analysis of signaling pathways in T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumana Sharma
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Toby Whitehead
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mateusz Kotowski
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Emily Zhi Qing Ng
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joseph Clarke
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Judith Leitner
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell Activation, Institute of Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yi-Ling Chen
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ana Mafalda Santos
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter Steinberger
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell Activation, Institute of Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon J Davis
- https://ror.org/052gg0110 MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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8
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Mariuzza RA, Wu D, Pierce BG. Structural basis for T cell recognition of cancer neoantigens and implications for predicting neoepitope immunogenicity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1303304. [PMID: 38045695 PMCID: PMC10693334 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1303304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-specific T cells has been shown to mediate durable cancer regression. Tumor-specific T cells are also the basis of other therapies, notably cancer vaccines. The main target of tumor-specific T cells are neoantigens resulting from mutations in self-antigens over the course of malignant transformation. The detection of neoantigens presents a major challenge to T cells because of their high structural similarity to self-antigens, and the need to avoid autoimmunity. How different a neoantigen must be from its wild-type parent for it to induce a T cell response is poorly understood. Here we review recent structural and biophysical studies of T cell receptor (TCR) recognition of shared cancer neoantigens derived from oncogenes, including p53R175H, KRASG12D, KRASG12V, HHATp8F, and PIK3CAH1047L. These studies have revealed that, in some cases, the oncogenic mutation improves antigen presentation by strengthening peptide-MHC binding. In other cases, the mutation is detected by direct interactions with TCR, or by energetically driven or other indirect strategies not requiring direct TCR contacts with the mutation. We also review antibodies designed to recognize peptide-MHC on cell surfaces (TCR-mimic antibodies) as an alternative to TCRs for targeting cancer neoantigens. Finally, we review recent computational advances in this area, including efforts to predict neoepitope immunogenicity and how these efforts may be advanced by structural information on peptide-MHC binding and peptide-MHC recognition by TCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy A. Mariuzza
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Daichao Wu
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Brian G. Pierce
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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9
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Giordano Attianese GMP, Ash S, Irving M. Coengineering specificity, safety, and function into T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:166-198. [PMID: 37548063 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) therapies, including of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and T cells gene-modified to express either a T cell receptor (TCR) or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), have demonstrated clinical efficacy for a proportion of patients and cancer-types. The field of ACT has been driven forward by the clinical success of CD19-CAR therapy against various advanced B-cell malignancies, including curative responses for some leukemia patients. However, relapse remains problematic, in particular for lymphoma. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, relative limited efficacy has been demonstrated for ACT of non-hematological solid tumors. Indeed, in addition to pre-infusion challenges including lymphocyte collection and manufacturing, ACT failure can be attributed to several biological processes post-transfer including, (i) inefficient tumor trafficking, infiltration, expansion and retention, (ii) chronic antigen exposure coupled with insufficient costimulation resulting in T-cell exhaustion, (iii) a range of barriers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediated by both tumor cells and suppressive immune infiltrate, (iv) tumor antigen heterogeneity and loss, or down-regulation of antigen presentation machinery, (v) gain of tumor intrinsic mechanisms of resistance such as to apoptosis, and (vi) various forms of toxicity and other adverse events in patients. Affinity-optimized TCRs can improve T-cell function and innovative CAR designs as well as gene-modification strategies can be used to coengineer specificity, safety, and function into T cells. Coengineering strategies can be designed not only to directly support the transferred T cells, but also to block suppressive barriers in the TME and harness endogenous innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we review a selection of the remarkable T-cell coengineering strategies, including of tools, receptors, and gene-cargo, that have been developed in recent years to augment tumor control by ACT, more and more of which are advancing to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Maria Paola Giordano Attianese
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Ash
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melita Irving
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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10
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Foldvari Z, Knetter C, Yang W, Gjerdingen TJ, Bollineni RC, Tran TT, Lund-Johansen F, Kolstad A, Drousch K, Klopfleisch R, Leisegang M, Olweus J. A systematic safety pipeline for selection of T-cell receptors to enter clinical use. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:126. [PMID: 37607971 PMCID: PMC10444760 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00713-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy using T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-Ts) represents a promising treatment option. However, technologies for pre-clinical safety assessment are incomplete or inaccessible to most laboratories. Here, TCR-T off-target reactivity was assessed in five steps: (1) Mapping target amino acids necessary for TCR-T recognition, followed by (2) a computational search for, and (3) reactivity screening against, candidate cross-reactive peptides in the human proteome. Natural processing and presentation of recognized peptides was evaluated using (4) short mRNAs, and (5) full-length proteins. TCR-Ts were screened for recognition of unintended HLA alleles, and as proxy for off-target reactivity in vivo, a syngeneic, HLA-A*02:01-transgenic mouse model was used. Validation demonstrated importance of studying recognition of full-length candidate off-targets, and that the clinically applied 1G4 TCR has a hitherto unknown reactivity to unintended HLA alleles, relevant for patient selection. This widely applicable strategy should facilitate evaluation of candidate therapeutic TCRs and inform clinical decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsofia Foldvari
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cathrine Knetter
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Weiwen Yang
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thea Johanne Gjerdingen
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ravi Chand Bollineni
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trung The Tran
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fridtjof Lund-Johansen
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arne Kolstad
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kimberley Drousch
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Klopfleisch
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Leisegang
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Johanna Olweus
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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11
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Jenkins E, Whitehead T, Fellermeyer M, Davis SJ, Sharma S. The current state and future of T-cell exhaustion research. OXFORD OPEN IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 4:iqad006. [PMID: 37554723 PMCID: PMC10352049 DOI: 10.1093/oxfimm/iqad006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
'Exhaustion' is a term used to describe a state of native and redirected T-cell hypo-responsiveness resulting from persistent antigen exposure during chronic viral infections or cancer. Although a well-established phenotype across mice and humans, exhaustion at the molecular level remains poorly defined and inconsistent across the literature. This is, in part, due to an overreliance on surface receptors to define these cells and explain exhaustive behaviours, an incomplete understanding of how exhaustion arises, and a lack of clarity over whether exhaustion is the same across contexts, e.g. chronic viral infections versus cancer. With the development of systems-based genetic approaches such as single-cell RNA-seq and CRISPR screens applied to in vivo data, we are moving closer to a consensus view of exhaustion, although understanding how it arises remains challenging given the difficulty in manipulating the in vivo setting. Accordingly, producing and studying exhausted T-cells ex vivo are burgeoning, allowing experiments to be conducted at scale up and with high throughput. Here, we first review what is currently known about T-cell exhaustion and how it's being studied. We then discuss how improvements in their method of isolation/production and examining the impact of different microenvironmental signals and cell interactions have now become an active area of research. Finally, we discuss what the future holds for the analysis of this physiological condition and, given the diversity of ways in which exhausted cells are now being generated, propose the adoption of a unified approach to clearly defining exhaustion using a set of metabolic-, epigenetic-, transcriptional-, and activation-based phenotypic markers, that we call 'M.E.T.A'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Jenkins
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Toby Whitehead
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Martin Fellermeyer
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Simon J Davis
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Sumana Sharma
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
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12
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Sun Y, Young MC, Woodward CH, Danon JN, Truong HV, Gupta S, Winters TJ, Font-Burgada J, Burslem GM, Sgourakis NG. Universal open MHC-I molecules for rapid peptide loading and enhanced complex stability across HLA allotypes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304055120. [PMID: 37310998 PMCID: PMC10288639 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304055120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The polymorphic nature and intrinsic instability of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) and MHC-like molecules loaded with suboptimal peptides, metabolites, or glycolipids presents a fundamental challenge for identifying disease-relevant antigens and antigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs), hindering the development of autologous therapeutics. Here, we leverage the positive allosteric coupling between the peptide and light chain (β2 microglobulin, β2m) subunits for binding to the MHC-I heavy chain (HC) through an engineered disulfide bond bridging conserved epitopes across the HC/β2m interface, to generate conformationally stable, peptide-receptive molecules named "open MHC-I." Biophysical characterization shows that open MHC-I molecules are properly folded protein complexes of enhanced thermal stability compared to the wild type when loaded with low- to moderate-affinity peptides. Using solution NMR, we characterize the effects of the disulfide bond on the conformation and dynamics of the MHC-I structure, ranging from local changes in β2m-interacting sites of the peptide-binding groove to long-range effects on the α2-1 helix and α3 domain. The interchain disulfide bond stabilizes MHC-I molecules in an open conformation to promote peptide exchange across multiple human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allotypes, covering representatives from five HLA-A supertypes, six HLA-B supertypes, and oligomorphic HLA-Ib molecules. Our structure-guided design, combined with conditional β-peptide ligands, provides a universal platform to generate ready-to-load MHC-I systems of enhanced stability, enabling a range of approaches to screen antigenic epitope libraries and probe polyclonal TCR repertoires covering highly polymorphic HLA-I allotypes, as well as oligomorphic nonclassical molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Sun
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Michael C. Young
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Claire H. Woodward
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Julia N. Danon
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Hau V. Truong
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Sagar Gupta
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Trenton J. Winters
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Joan Font-Burgada
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA19111
| | - George M. Burslem
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Nikolaos G. Sgourakis
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
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13
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Pettmann J, Awada L, Różycki B, Huhn A, Faour S, Kutuzov M, Limozin L, Weikl TR, van der Merwe PA, Robert P, Dushek O. Mechanical forces impair antigen discrimination by reducing differences in T-cell receptor/peptide-MHC off-rates. EMBO J 2023; 42:e111841. [PMID: 36484367 PMCID: PMC10068313 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022111841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells use their T-cell receptors (TCRs) to discriminate between lower-affinity self and higher-affinity foreign peptide major-histocompatibility-complexes (pMHCs) based on the TCR/pMHC off-rate. It is now appreciated that T cells generate mechanical forces during this process but how force impacts the TCR/pMHC off-rate remains debated. Here, we measured the effect of mechanical force on the off-rate of multiple TCR/pMHC interactions. Unexpectedly, we found that lower-affinity TCR/pMHCs with faster solution off-rates were more resistant to mechanical force (weak slip or catch bonds) than higher-affinity interactions (strong slip bonds). This was confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations. Consistent with these findings, we show that the best-characterized catch bond, involving the OT-I TCR, has a low affinity and an exceptionally fast solution off-rate. Our findings imply that reducing forces on the TCR/pMHC interaction improves antigen discrimination, and we suggest a role for the adhesion receptors CD2 and LFA-1 in force-shielding the TCR/pMHC interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lama Awada
- Laboratoire Adhesion et InflammationAix Marseille University UM 61, INSERM UMRS 1067, CNRS UMR 7333MarseilleFrance
| | | | - Anna Huhn
- Sir William Dunn School of PathologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Sara Faour
- Laboratoire Adhesion et InflammationAix Marseille University UM 61, INSERM UMRS 1067, CNRS UMR 7333MarseilleFrance
| | - Mikhail Kutuzov
- Sir William Dunn School of PathologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Laurent Limozin
- Laboratoire Adhesion et InflammationAix Marseille University UM 61, INSERM UMRS 1067, CNRS UMR 7333MarseilleFrance
| | - Thomas R Weikl
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and InterfacesPotsdamGermany
| | | | - Philippe Robert
- Laboratoire Adhesion et InflammationAix Marseille University UM 61, INSERM UMRS 1067, CNRS UMR 7333MarseilleFrance
- Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de MarseilleMarseilleFrance
| | - Omer Dushek
- Sir William Dunn School of PathologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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14
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Jenkins E, Körbel M, O'Brien-Ball C, McColl J, Chen KY, Kotowski M, Humphrey J, Lippert AH, Brouwer H, Santos AM, Lee SF, Davis SJ, Klenerman D. Antigen discrimination by T cells relies on size-constrained microvillar contact. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1611. [PMID: 36959206 PMCID: PMC10036606 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36855-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells use finger-like protrusions called 'microvilli' to interrogate their targets, but why they do so is unknown. To form contacts, T cells must overcome the highly charged, barrier-like layer of large molecules forming a target cell's glycocalyx. Here, T cells are observed to use microvilli to breach a model glycocalyx barrier, forming numerous small (<0.5 μm diameter) contacts each of which is stabilized by the small adhesive protein CD2 expressed by the T cell, and excludes large proteins including CD45, allowing sensitive, antigen dependent TCR signaling. In the absence of the glycocalyx or when microvillar contact-size is increased by enhancing CD2 expression, strong signaling occurs that is no longer antigen dependent. Our observations suggest that, modulated by the opposing effects of the target cell glycocalyx and small adhesive proteins, the use of microvilli equips T cells with the ability to effect discriminatory receptor signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Jenkins
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Markus Körbel
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Caitlin O'Brien-Ball
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - James McColl
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Kevin Y Chen
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Mateusz Kotowski
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jane Humphrey
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Anna H Lippert
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Heather Brouwer
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ana Mafalda Santos
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Steven F Lee
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Simon J Davis
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
- Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
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15
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Sun Y, Young MC, Woodward CH, Danon JN, Truong H, Gupta S, Winters TJ, Burslem G, Sgourakis NG. Universal open MHC-I molecules for rapid peptide loading and enhanced complex stability across HLA allotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.18.533266. [PMID: 36993702 PMCID: PMC10055308 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.18.533266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The polymorphic nature and intrinsic instability of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) and MHC-like molecules loaded with suboptimal peptides, metabolites, or glycolipids presents a fundamental challenge for identifying disease-relevant antigens and antigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs), hindering the development of autologous therapeutics. Here, we leverage the positive allosteric coupling between the peptide and light chain (β 2 microglobulin, β 2 m) subunits for binding to the MHC-I heavy chain (HC) through an engineered disulfide bond bridging conserved epitopes across the HC/β 2 m interface, to generate conformationally stable, open MHC-I molecules. Biophysical characterization shows that open MHC-I molecules are properly folded protein complexes of enhanced thermal stability compared to the wild type, when loaded with low- to intermediate-affinity peptides. Using solution NMR, we characterize the effects of the disulfide bond on the conformation and dynamics of the MHC-I structure, ranging from local changes in β 2 m interacting sites of the peptide binding groove to long-range effects on the α 2-1 helix and α 3 domain. The interchain disulfide bond stabilizes empty MHC-I molecules in a peptide-receptive, open conformation to promote peptide exchange across multiple human leucocyte antigen (HLA) allotypes, covering representatives from five HLA-A, six HLA-B supertypes, and oligomorphic HLA-Ib molecules. Our structural design, combined with conditional β-peptide ligands, provides a universal platform for generating ready-to-load MHC-I systems of enhanced stability, enabling a range of approaches to screen antigenic epitope libraries and probe polyclonal TCR repertoires in the context of highly polymorphic HLA-I allotypes, as well as oligomorphic nonclassical molecules. Significance Statement We outline a structure-guided approach for generating conformationally stable, open MHC-I molecules with enhanced ligand exchange kinetics spanning five HLA-A, all HLA-B supertypes, and oligomorphic HLA-Ib allotypes. We present direct evidence of positive allosteric cooperativity between peptide binding and β 2 m association with the heavy chain by solution NMR and HDX-MS spectroscopy. We demonstrate that covalently linked β 2 m serves as a conformational chaperone to stabilize empty MHC-I molecules in a peptide-receptive state, by inducing an open conformation and preventing intrinsically unstable heterodimers from irreversible aggregation. Our study provides structural and biophysical insights into the conformational properties of MHC-I ternary complexes, which can be further applied to improve the design of ultra-stable, universal ligand exchange systems in a pan-HLA allelic setting.
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16
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Papadaki GF, Ani O, Florio TJ, Young MC, Danon JN, Sun Y, Dersh D, Sgourakis NG. Decoupling peptide binding from T cell receptor recognition with engineered chimeric MHC-I molecules. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1116906. [PMID: 36761745 PMCID: PMC9905809 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1116906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) molecules display self, viral or aberrant epitopic peptides to T cell receptors (TCRs), which employ interactions between complementarity-determining regions with both peptide and MHC-I heavy chain 'framework' residues to recognize specific Human Leucocyte Antigens (HLAs). The highly polymorphic nature of the HLA peptide-binding groove suggests a malleability of interactions within a common structural scaffold. Here, using structural data from peptide:MHC-I and pMHC:TCR structures, we first identify residues important for peptide and/or TCR binding. We then outline a fixed-backbone computational design approach for engineering synthetic molecules that combine peptide binding and TCR recognition surfaces from existing HLA allotypes. X-ray crystallography demonstrates that chimeric molecules bridging divergent HLA alleles can bind selected peptide antigens in a specified backbone conformation. Finally, in vitro tetramer staining and biophysical binding experiments using chimeric pMHC-I molecules presenting established antigens further demonstrate the requirement of TCR recognition on interactions with HLA framework residues, as opposed to interactions with peptide-centric Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs). Our results underscore a novel, structure-guided platform for developing synthetic HLA molecules with desired properties as screening probes for peptide-centric interactions with TCRs and other therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia F. Papadaki
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Omar Ani
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Tyler J. Florio
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael C. Young
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julia N. Danon
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yi Sun
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Devin Dersh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nikolaos G. Sgourakis
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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17
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Murata K, Ly D, Saijo H, Matsunaga Y, Sugata K, Ihara F, Oryoji D, Ohashi Y, Saso K, Wang CH, Zheng EY, Burt BD, Butler MO, Hirano N. Modification of the HLA-A*24:02 Peptide Binding Pocket Enhances Cognate Peptide-Binding Capacity and Antigen-Specific T Cell Activation. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 209:1481-1491. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The immunogenicity of a T cell Ag is correlated with the ability of its antigenic epitope to bind HLA and be stably presented to T cells. This presents a challenge for the development of effective cancer immunotherapies, as many self-derived tumor-associated epitopes elicit weak T cell responses, in part due to weak binding affinity to HLA. Traditional methods to increase peptide–HLA binding affinity involve modifying the peptide to reflect HLA allele binding preferences. Using a different approach, we sought to analyze whether the immunogenicity of wild-type peptides could be altered through modification of the HLA binding pocket. After analyzing HLA class I peptide binding pocket alignments, we identified an alanine 81 to leucine (A81L) modification within the F binding pocket of HLA-A*24:02 that was found to heighten the ability of artificial APCs to retain and present HLA-A*24:02–restricted peptides, resulting in increased T cell responses while retaining Ag specificity. This modification led to increased peptide exchange efficiencies for enhanced detection of low-avidity T cells and, when expressed on artificial APCs, resulted in greater expansion of Ag-specific T cells from melanoma-derived tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Our study provides an example of how modifications to the HLA binding pocket can enhance wild-type cognate peptide presentation to heighten T cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Murata
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dalam Ly
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hiroshi Saijo
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yukiko Matsunaga
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kenji Sugata
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fumie Ihara
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daisuke Oryoji
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yota Ohashi
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
| | - Kayoko Saso
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chung-Hsi Wang
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
| | - Evey Y.F. Zheng
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
| | - Brian D. Burt
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marcus O. Butler
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
- ‡Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Naoto Hirano
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
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18
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Govendir MA, Kempe D, Sianati S, Cremasco J, Mazalo JK, Colakoglu F, Golo M, Poole K, Biro M. T cell cytoskeletal forces shape synapse topography for targeted lysis via membrane curvature bias of perforin. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2237-2247.e8. [PMID: 36113483 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) lyse target cells by delivering lytic granules that contain the pore former perforin to the cytotoxic immunological synapse. Here, we establish that opposing cytoskeletal forces drive lytic granule polarization and simultaneously shape T cell synapse topography to enhance target perforation. At the cell rear, actomyosin contractility drives the anterograde movement of lytic granules toward the nucleus. At the synapse, dynein-derived forces induce negatively curved membrane pockets to which granules are transported around the nucleus. These highly concave degranulation pockets are located directly opposite positively curved bulges on the target cell membrane. We identify a curvature bias in the action of perforin, which preferentially perforates positively curved tumor cell membrane. Together, these findings demonstrate murine and human T cell-mediated cytotoxicity to be a highly tuned mechano-biochemical system, in which the forces that polarize lytic granules locally bend the synaptic membrane to favor the unidirectional perforation of the target cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt A Govendir
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Daryan Kempe
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Setareh Sianati
- Cellular and Systems Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - James Cremasco
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jessica K Mazalo
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Feyza Colakoglu
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Matteo Golo
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Kate Poole
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Cellular and Systems Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Maté Biro
- EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science node, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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19
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T. RR, Smith JC. Structural patterns in class 1 major histocompatibility complex‐restricted nonamer peptide binding to T‐cell receptors. Proteins 2022; 90:1645-1654. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.26343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rajitha Rajeshwar T.
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
- UT/ORNL Center for Molecular Biophysics Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge Tennessee USA
| | - Jeremy C. Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
- UT/ORNL Center for Molecular Biophysics Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge Tennessee USA
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20
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Sušac L, Vuong MT, Thomas C, von Bülow S, O'Brien-Ball C, Santos AM, Fernandes RA, Hummer G, Tampé R, Davis SJ. Structure of a fully assembled tumor-specific T cell receptor ligated by pMHC. Cell 2022; 185:3201-3213.e19. [PMID: 35985289 PMCID: PMC9630439 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The T cell receptor (TCR) expressed by T lymphocytes initiates protective immune responses to pathogens and tumors. To explore the structural basis of how TCR signaling is initiated when the receptor binds to peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules, we used cryogenic electron microscopy to determine the structure of a tumor-reactive TCRαβ/CD3δγε2ζ2 complex bound to a melanoma-specific human class I pMHC at 3.08 Å resolution. The antigen-bound complex comprises 11 subunits stabilized by multivalent interactions across three structural layers, with clustered membrane-proximal cystines stabilizing the CD3-εδ and CD3-εγ heterodimers. Extra density sandwiched between transmembrane helices reveals the involvement of sterol lipids in TCR assembly. The geometry of the pMHC/TCR complex suggests that efficient TCR scanning of pMHC requires accurate pre-positioning of T cell and antigen-presenting cell membranes. Comparisons of the ligand-bound and unliganded receptors, along with molecular dynamics simulations, indicate that TCRs can be triggered in the absence of spontaneous structural rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Sušac
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mai T Vuong
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christoph Thomas
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sören von Bülow
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Caitlin O'Brien-Ball
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ana Mafalda Santos
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ricardo A Fernandes
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Robert Tampé
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Simon J Davis
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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21
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Sandalova T, Sala BM, Achour A. Structural aspects of chemical modifications in the MHC-restricted immunopeptidome; Implications for immune recognition. Front Chem 2022; 10:861609. [PMID: 36017166 PMCID: PMC9395651 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.861609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant advances in mass-spectroscopy (MS) have made it possible to investigate the cellular immunopeptidome, a large collection of MHC-associated epitopes presented on the surface of healthy, stressed and infected cells. These approaches have hitherto allowed the unambiguous identification of large cohorts of epitope sequences that are restricted to specific MHC class I and II molecules, enhancing our understanding of the quantities, qualities and origins of these peptide populations. Most importantly these analyses provide essential information about the immunopeptidome in responses to pathogens, autoimmunity and cancer, and will hopefully allow for future tailored individual therapies. Protein post-translational modifications (PTM) play a key role in cellular functions, and are essential for both maintaining cellular homeostasis and increasing the diversity of the proteome. A significant proportion of proteins is post-translationally modified, and thus a deeper understanding of the importance of PTM epitopes in immunopeptidomes is essential for a thorough and stringent understanding of these peptide populations. The aim of the present review is to provide a structural insight into the impact of PTM peptides on stability of MHC/peptide complexes, and how these may alter/modulate immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Sandalova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Section for Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Benedetta Maria Sala
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Section for Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Section for Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Adnane Achour,
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22
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Hopkins JR, MacLachlan BJ, Harper S, Sewell AK, Cole DK. Unconventional modes of peptide-HLA-I presentation change the rules of TCR engagement. DISCOVERY IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 1:kyac001. [PMID: 38566908 PMCID: PMC10917088 DOI: 10.1093/discim/kyac001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular proteome of virtually every nucleated cell in the body is continuously presented at the cell surface via the human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) antigen processing pathway. This pathway classically involves proteasomal degradation of intracellular proteins into short peptides that can be presented by HLA-I molecules for interrogation by T-cell receptors (TCRs) expressed on the surface of CD8+ T cells. During the initiation of a T-cell immune response, the TCR acts as the T cell's primary sensor, using flexible loops to mould around the surface of the pHLA-I molecule to identify foreign or dysregulated antigens. Recent findings demonstrate that pHLA-I molecules can also be highly flexible and dynamic, altering their shape according to minor polymorphisms between different HLA-I alleles, or interactions with different peptides. These flexible presentation modes have important biological consequences that can, for example, explain why some HLA-I alleles offer greater protection against HIV, or why some cancer vaccine approaches have been ineffective. This review explores how these recent findings redefine the rules for peptide presentation by HLA-I molecules and extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern TCR-mediated antigen discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade R Hopkins
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - Bruce J MacLachlan
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Andrew K Sewell
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - David K Cole
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
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23
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Ballabio F, Broggini L, Paissoni C, Han X, Peqini K, Sala BM, Sun R, Sandalova T, Barbiroli A, Achour A, Pellegrino S, Ricagno S, Camilloni C. l- to d-Amino Acid Substitution in the Immunodominant LCMV-Derived Epitope gp33 Highlights the Sensitivity of the TCR Recognition Mechanism for the MHC/Peptide Structure and Dynamics. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:9622-9635. [PMID: 35350306 PMCID: PMC8945122 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Presentation of pathogen-derived epitopes by major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I) can lead to the activation and expansion of specific CD8+ T cell clones, eventually resulting in the destruction of infected target cells. Altered peptide ligands (APLs), designed to elicit immunogenicity toward a wild-type peptide, may affect the overall stability of MHC-I/peptide (pMHC) complexes and modulate the recognition by T cell receptors (TCR). Previous works have demonstrated that proline substitution at position 3 (p3P) of different MHC-restricted epitopes, including the immunodominant LCMV-derived epitope gp33 and escape variants, may be an effective design strategy to increase epitope immunogenicity. These studies hypothesized that the p3P substitution increases peptide rigidity, facilitating TCR binding. Here, molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the p3P modification rigidifies the APLs in solution predisposing them for the MHC-I loading as well as once bound to H-2Db, predisposing them for TCR binding. Our results also indicate that peptide position 6, key for interaction of H-2Db/gp33 with the TCR P14, takes a suboptimal conformation before as well as after binding to the TCR. Analyses of H-2Db in complex with APLs, in which position 6 was subjected to an l- to d-amino acid modification, revealed small conformational changes and comparable pMHC thermal stability. However, the l- to d-modification reduced significantly the binding to P14 even in the presence of the p3P modification. Our combined data highlight the sensitivity of the TCR for the conformational dynamics of pMHC and provide further tools to dissect and modulate TCR binding and immunogenicity via APLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Ballabio
- Dipartimento
di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Luca Broggini
- Dipartimento
di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
- Institute
of Molecular and Translational Cardiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese 20097, Italy
| | - Cristina Paissoni
- Dipartimento
di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Xiao Han
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute,
& Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska
University Hospital, Stockholm 14186, Sweden
| | - Kaliroi Peqini
- DISFARM,
Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e
Organica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Milano 20122, Italy
| | - Benedetta Maria Sala
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute,
& Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska
University Hospital, Stockholm 14186, Sweden
| | - Renhua Sun
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute,
& Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska
University Hospital, Stockholm 14186, Sweden
| | - Tatyana Sandalova
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute,
& Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska
University Hospital, Stockholm 14186, Sweden
| | - Alberto Barbiroli
- Dipartimento
di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l’Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano 20122, Italy
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute,
& Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska
University Hospital, Stockholm 14186, Sweden
| | - Sara Pellegrino
- DISFARM,
Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Sezione Chimica Generale e
Organica, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Milano 20122, Italy
| | - Stefano Ricagno
- Dipartimento
di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
- Institute
of Molecular and Translational Cardiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese 20097, Italy
| | - Carlo Camilloni
- Dipartimento
di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi
di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy
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24
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Crean RM, Pudney CR, Cole DK, van der Kamp MW. Reliable In Silico Ranking of Engineered Therapeutic TCR Binding Affinities with MMPB/GBSA. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:577-590. [PMID: 35049312 PMCID: PMC9097153 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Accurate
and efficient in silico ranking of protein–protein
binding affinities is useful for protein design with applications
in biological therapeutics. One popular approach to rank binding affinities
is to apply the molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann/generalized
Born surface area (MMPB/GBSA) method to molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories.
Here, we identify protocols that enable the reliable evaluation of
T-cell receptor (TCR) variants binding to their target, peptide-human
leukocyte antigens (pHLAs). We suggest different protocols for variant
sets with a few (≤4) or many mutations, with entropy corrections
important for the latter. We demonstrate how potential outliers could
be identified in advance and that just 5–10 replicas of short
(4 ns) MD simulations may be sufficient for the reproducible and accurate
ranking of TCR variants. The protocols developed here can be applied
toward in silico screening during the optimization
of therapeutic TCRs, potentially reducing both the cost and time taken
for biologic development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David K. Cole
- Immunocore Ltd., Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4RY, U.K
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, U.K
| | - Marc W. van der Kamp
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
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25
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Gartner JJ, Parkhurst MR, Gros A, Tran E, Jafferji MS, Copeland A, Hanada KI, Zacharakis N, Lalani A, Krishna S, Sachs A, Prickett TD, Li YF, Florentin M, Kivitz S, Chatmon SC, Rosenberg SA, Robbins PF. A machine learning model for ranking candidate HLA class I neoantigens based on known neoepitopes from multiple human tumor types. NATURE CANCER 2021; 2:563-574. [PMID: 34927080 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-021-00197-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Tumor neoepitopes presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I are recognized by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and are targeted by adoptive T-cell therapies. Identifying which mutant neoepitopes from tumor cells are capable of recognition by T cells can assist in the development of tumor-specific, cell-based therapies and can shed light on antitumor responses. Here, we generate a ranking algorithm for class I candidate neoepitopes by using next-generation sequencing data and a dataset of 185 neoepitopes that are recognized by HLA class I-restricted TIL from individuals with metastatic cancer. Random forest model analysis showed that the inclusion of multiple factors impacting epitope presentation and recognition increased output sensitivity and specificity compared to the use of predicted HLA binding alone. The ranking score output provides a set of class I candidate neoantigens that may serve as therapeutic targets and provides a tool to facilitate in vitro and in vivo studies aimed at the development of more effective immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared J Gartner
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maria R Parkhurst
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alena Gros
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Cellex Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eric Tran
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Amy Copeland
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ken-Ichi Hanada
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nikolaos Zacharakis
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Almin Lalani
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sri Krishna
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Abraham Sachs
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Todd D Prickett
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yong F Li
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maria Florentin
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Scott Kivitz
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Samuel C Chatmon
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steven A Rosenberg
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paul F Robbins
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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26
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Brunk F, Moritz A, Nelde A, Bilich T, Casadei N, Fraschka SAK, Heitmann JS, Hörber S, Peter A, Rammensee H, Singh H, Walz J, Maurer D, Wagner C. SARS-CoV-2-reactive T-cell receptors isolated from convalescent COVID-19 patients confer potent T-cell effector function. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:2651-2664. [PMID: 34424997 PMCID: PMC8646365 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Both B cells and T cells are involved in an effective immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the disease-causing virus of COVID-19. While B cells-with the indispensable help of CD4+ T cells-are essential to generate neutralizing antibodies, T cells on their own have been recognized as another major player in effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity. In this report, we provide insights into the characteristics of individual HLA-A*02:01- and HLA-A*24:02-restricted SARS-CoV-2-reactive TCRs, isolated from convalescent COVID-19 patients. We observed that SARS-CoV-2-reactive T-cell populations were clearly detectable in convalescent samples and that TCRs isolated from these T cell clones were highly functional upon ectopic re-expression. The SARS-CoV-2-reactive TCRs described in this report mediated potent TCR signaling in reporter assays with low nanomolar EC50 values. We further demonstrate that these SARS-CoV-2-reactive TCRs conferred powerful T-cell effector function to primary CD8+ T cells as evident by a robust anti-SARS-CoV-2 IFN-γ response and in vitro cytotoxicity. We also provide an example of a long-lasting anti-SARS-CoV-2 memory response by reisolation of one of the retrieved TCRs 5 months after initial sampling. Taken together, these findings contribute to a better understanding of anti-SARS-CoV-2 T-cell immunity and may contribute to paving the way toward immunotherapeutics approaches targeting SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Annika Nelde
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational ImmunologyGerman Cancer Consortium (DKTK)Department of Internal MedicineUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
- Department of ImmunologyInstitute for Cell BiologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image‐Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies,’University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Tatjana Bilich
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational ImmunologyGerman Cancer Consortium (DKTK)Department of Internal MedicineUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
- Department of ImmunologyInstitute for Cell BiologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image‐Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies,’University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Nicolas Casadei
- NGS Competence Center TübingenTübingenGermany
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied GenomicsUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Sabine A. K. Fraschka
- NGS Competence Center TübingenTübingenGermany
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied GenomicsUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Jonas S. Heitmann
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational ImmunologyGerman Cancer Consortium (DKTK)Department of Internal MedicineUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image‐Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies,’University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Sebastian Hörber
- Department for Diagnostic Laboratory MedicineInstitute for Clinical Chemistry and PathobiochemistryUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Andreas Peter
- Department for Diagnostic Laboratory MedicineInstitute for Clinical Chemistry and PathobiochemistryUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Hans‐Georg Rammensee
- Department of ImmunologyInstitute for Cell BiologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image‐Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies,’University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)Partner Site TübingenTübingenGermany
| | | | - Juliane Walz
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational ImmunologyGerman Cancer Consortium (DKTK)Department of Internal MedicineUniversity Hospital TübingenTübingenGermany
- Department of ImmunologyInstitute for Cell BiologyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) ‘Image‐Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies,’University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Dr. Margarete Fischer‐Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases (RBCT)StuttgartGermany
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27
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Trapping or slowing the diffusion of T cell receptors at close contacts initiates T cell signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2024250118. [PMID: 34526387 PMCID: PMC8488633 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2024250118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell activation is initiated by T cell receptor (TCR) phosphorylation. This requires the local depletion of large receptor-type phosphatases from "close contacts" formed when T cells interact with surfaces presenting agonistic TCR ligands, but exactly how the ligands potentiate signaling is unclear. It has been proposed that TCR ligands could enhance receptor phosphorylation and signaling just by holding TCRs in phosphatase-depleted close contacts, but this has not been directly tested. We devised simple methods to move the TCR in and out of close contacts formed by T cells interacting with supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) and to slow the receptor's diffusion in the contacts, using a series of anti-CD3ε Fab- and ligand-based adducts of the receptor. TCRs engaging a Fab extended with the large extracellular region of CD45 were excluded from contacts and produced no signaling. Conversely, allowing the extended Fab to become tethered to the SLB trapped the TCR in the close contacts, leading to very strong signaling. Importantly, attaching untethered anti-CD3ε Fab or peptide/MHC ligands, each of which were largely inactive in solution but both of which reduced TCR diffusion in close contacts approximately fivefold, also initiated signaling during cell/SLB contact. Our findings indicate that holding TCRs in close contacts or simply slowing their diffusion in phosphatase-depleted regions of the cell surface suffices to initiate signaling, effects we could reproduce in single-particle stochastic simulations. Our study shows that the TCR is preconfigured for signaling in a way that allows it to be triggered by ligands acting simply as receptor "traps."
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28
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Lanz AL, Masi G, Porciello N, Cohnen A, Cipria D, Prakaash D, Bálint Š, Raggiaschi R, Galgano D, Cole DK, Lepore M, Dushek O, Dustin ML, Sansom MSP, Kalli AC, Acuto O. Allosteric activation of T cell antigen receptor signaling by quaternary structure relaxation. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109375. [PMID: 34260912 PMCID: PMC8293630 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of T cell antigen receptor (TCR-CD3) signaling remains elusive. Here, we identify mutations in the transmembrane region of TCRβ or CD3ζ that augment peptide T cell antigen receptor (pMHC)-induced signaling not explicable by enhanced ligand binding, lateral diffusion, clustering, or co-receptor function. Using a biochemical assay and molecular dynamics simulation, we demonstrate that the gain-of-function mutations loosen the interaction between TCRαβ and CD3ζ. Similar to the activating mutations, pMHC binding reduces TCRαβ cohesion with CD3ζ. This event occurs prior to CD3ζ phosphorylation and at 0°C. Moreover, we demonstrate that soluble monovalent pMHC alone induces signaling and reduces TCRαβ cohesion with CD3ζ in membrane-bound or solubilised TCR-CD3. Our data provide compelling evidence that pMHC binding suffices to activate allosteric changes propagating from TCRαβ to the CD3 subunits, reconfiguring interchain transmembrane region interactions. These dynamic modifications could change the arrangement of TCR-CD3 boundary lipids to license CD3ζ phosphorylation and initiate signal propagation. Mutations in TCRβ and CD3ζ TMRs that reduce their interaction augment signaling pMHC and anti-CD3 binding to TCR-CD3 induce similar quaternary structure relaxation Soluble monovalent pMHC alone signals and reduces TCRαβ cohesion with CD3ζ Allosteric changes in TCR-CD3 dynamics instigate T cell activation
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lisa Lanz
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Giulia Masi
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Nicla Porciello
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - André Cohnen
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Deborah Cipria
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Dheeraj Prakaash
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Štefan Bálint
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Roberto Raggiaschi
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Donatella Galgano
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - David K Cole
- Division Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK; Immunocore Ltd., Abingdon OX14 4RY, UK
| | | | - Omer Dushek
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Mark S P Sansom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
| | - Antreas C Kalli
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
| | - Oreste Acuto
- T-cell signalling laboratory, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.
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Shenderov E, Kandasamy M, Gileadi U, Chen J, Shepherd D, Gibbs J, Prota G, Silk JD, Yewdell JW, Cerundolo V. Generation and characterization of HLA-A2 transgenic mice expressing the human TCR 1G4 specific for the HLA-A2 restricted NY-ESO-1 157-165 tumor-specific peptide. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-002544. [PMID: 34088742 PMCID: PMC8183295 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background NY-ESO-1 is a tumor-specific, highly immunogenic, human germ cell antigen of the MAGE-1 family that is a promising vaccine and cell therapy candidate in clinical trial development. The mouse genome does not encode an NY-ESO-1 homolog thereby not subjecting transgenic T-cells to thymic tolerance mechanisms that might impair in-vivo studies. We hypothesized that an NY-ESO-1 T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mouse would provide the unique opportunity to study avidity of TCR response against NY-ESO-1 for tumor vaccine and cellular therapy development against this clinically relevant and physiological human antigen. Methods To study in vitro and in vivo the requirements for shaping an effective T cell response against the clinically relevant NY-ESO-1, we generated a C57BL/6 HLA-A*0201 background TCR transgenic mouse encoding the 1G4 TCR specific for the human HLA-A2 restricted, NY-ESO-1157-165 SLLMWITQC (9C), initially identified in an NY-ESO-1 positive melanoma patient. Results The HLA-A*0201 restricted TCR was positively selected on both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Mouse 1G4 T cells were not activated by endogenous autoimmune targets or a large library of non-cognate viral antigens. In contrast, their activation by HLA-A2 NY-ESO-1157-165 complexes was evident by proliferation, CD69 upregulation, interferon-γ production, and interleukin-2 production, and could be tuned using a twofold higher affinity altered peptide ligand, NY-ESO-1157-165V. NY-ESO-1157-165V recombinant vaccination of syngeneic mice adoptively transferred with m1G4 CD8+ T cells controlled tumor growth in vivo. 1G4 transgenic mice suppressed growth of syngeneic methylcholanthrene (MCA) induced HHD tumor cells expressing the full-length human NY-ESO-1 protein but not MCA HHD tumor cells lacking NY-ESO-1. Conclusions The 1G4 TCR mouse model for the physiological human TCR against the clinically relevant antigen, NY-ESO-1, is a valuable tool with the potential to accelerate clinical development of NY-ESO-1-targeted T-cell and vaccine therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Shenderov
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK .,National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matheswaran Kandasamy
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Uzi Gileadi
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Jili Chen
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Dawn Shepherd
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - James Gibbs
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gennaro Prota
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Jonathan D Silk
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK.,Next Generation Research, Adaptimmune, Abingdon, UK
| | - Jonathan W Yewdell
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Vincenzo Cerundolo
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
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30
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Structures suggest an approach for converting weak self-peptide tumor antigens into superagonists for CD8 T cells in cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2100588118. [PMID: 34074778 PMCID: PMC8201969 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100588118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor vaccines using modified self-antigens that structurally enhance T cell receptor–peptide–major histocompatibility complex interactions greatly improve a T cell protective response against the tumor’s unmodified self-antigen. X-ray crystal structures of these interactions explain how the native and modified peptides can interact with the same T cell receptor, but with different affinities and abilities to drive T cell proliferation and differentiation. Tumors frequently express unmutated self-tumor–associated antigens (self-TAAs). However, trial results using self-TAAs as vaccine targets against cancer are mixed, often attributed to deletion of T cells with high-affinity receptors (TCRs) for self-TAAs during T cell development. Mutating these weak self-TAAs to produce higher affinity, effective vaccines is challenging, since the mutations may not benefit all members of the broad self-TAA–specific T cell repertoire. We previously identified a common weak murine self-TAA that we converted to a highly effective antitumor vaccine by a single amino acid substitution. In this case the modified and natural self-TAAs still raised very similar sets of CD8 T cells. Our structural studies herein show that the modification of the self-TAA resulted in a subtle change in the major histocompatibility complex I–TAA structure. This amino acid substitution allowed a dramatic conformational change in the peptide during subsequent TCR engagement, creating a large increase in TCR affinity and accounting for the efficacy of the modified self-TAA as a vaccine. These results show that carefully selected, well-characterized modifications to a poorly immunogenic self-TAA can rescue the immune response of the large repertoire of weakly responding natural self-TAA–specific CD8 T cells, driving them to proliferate and differentiate into functional effectors. Subsequently, the unmodified self-TAA on the tumor cells, while unable to drive this response, is nevertheless a sufficient target for the CD8 cytotoxic effectors. Our results suggest a pathway for more efficiently identifying variants of common self-TAAs, which could be useful in vaccine development, complementing other current nonantigen-specific immunotherapies.
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31
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Pettmann J, Huhn A, Abu Shah E, Kutuzov MA, Wilson DB, Dustin ML, Davis SJ, van der Merwe PA, Dushek O. The discriminatory power of the T cell receptor. eLife 2021; 10:e67092. [PMID: 34030769 PMCID: PMC8219380 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells use their T cell receptors (TCRs) to discriminate between lower-affinity self and higher-affinity non-self peptides presented on major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) antigens. Although the discriminatory power of the TCR is widely believed to be near-perfect, technical difficulties have hampered efforts to precisely quantify it. Here, we describe a method for measuring very low TCR/pMHC affinities and use it to measure the discriminatory power of the TCR and the factors affecting it. We find that TCR discrimination, although enhanced compared with conventional cell-surface receptors, is imperfect: primary human T cells can respond to pMHC with affinities as low as KD ∼ 1 mM. The kinetic proofreading mechanism fit our data, providing the first estimates of both the time delay (2.8 s) and number of biochemical steps (2.67) that are consistent with the extraordinary sensitivity of antigen recognition. Our findings explain why self pMHC frequently induce autoimmune diseases and anti-tumour responses, and suggest ways to modify TCR discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Pettmann
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna Huhn
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Enas Abu Shah
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Mikhail A Kutuzov
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Daniel B Wilson
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Boston University, Department of Mathematics and StatisticsBostonUnited States
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Simon J Davis
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Omer Dushek
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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32
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Alonso JA, Smith AR, Baker BM. Tumor rejection properties of gp100 209-specific T cells correlate with T cell receptor binding affinity towards the wild type rather than anchor-modified antigen. Mol Immunol 2021; 135:365-372. [PMID: 33990005 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although there are exceptions and outliers, T cell functional responses generally correlate with the affinity of a TCR for a peptide/MHC complex. In one recently described outlier case, the most promising clinical candidate in a series of TCRs specific for the gp100209 melanoma antigen bound with the weakest solution affinity and produced the least amount of cytokine in vitro. Hypotheses for this outlier behavior included unusual cytokine expression patterns arising from an atypical TCR binding geometry. Studying this instance in more detail, we found here that outlier behavior is attributable not to unusual cytokine patterns or TCR binding, but the use of a position 2 anchor-modified peptide variant in in vitro experiments instead of the wild type antigen that is present in vivo. Although the anchor-modified variant has been widely used in basic and clinical immunology as a surrogate for the wild type peptide, prior work has shown that TCRs can clearly distinguish between the two. We show that when this differential recognition is accounted for, the functional properties of gp100209-specific TCRs track with their affinity towards the peptide/MHC complex. Beyond demonstrating the correlates with T cell function for a clinically relevant TCR, our results provide important considerations for selection of TCRs for immunotherapy and the use of modified peptides in immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus A Alonso
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Angela R Smith
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
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33
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Gibadullin R, Randall CJ, Sidney J, Sette A, Gellman SH. Backbone Modifications of HLA-A2-Restricted Antigens Induce Diverse Binding and T Cell Activation Outcomes. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:6470-6481. [PMID: 33881854 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
CD8+ T cells express T cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize short peptide antigens in the context of major histocompatibility class I (MHC I) molecules. This recognition process produces an array of cytokine-mediated signals that help to govern immunological responses. Design of biostable MHC I peptide vaccines containing unnatural subunits is desirable, and synthetic antigens in which a native α-amino acid residue is replaced by a homologous β-amino acid residue (native side chain but extended backbone) might be useful in this regard. We have evaluated the impact of α-to-β backbone modification at a single site on T cell-mediated recognition of six clinically important viral and tumor-associated antigens bound to an MHC I. Effects of this modification on MHC I affinity and T cell activation were measured. Many of these modifications diminish or prevent T cell response. However, a number of α/β-peptide antigens were found to mimic the activity of natural antigens or to enhance maximal T cell response, as measured by interferon-γ release. Results from this broad exploratory study advance our understanding of immunological responses to antigens bearing unnatural modifications and suggest that α/β-peptides could be a source of potent and proteolytically stable variants of native antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan Gibadullin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Caleb J Randall
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - John Sidney
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Samuel H Gellman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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34
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Yang H, Rei M, Brackenridge S, Brenna E, Sun H, Abdulhaqq S, Liu MKP, Ma W, Kurupati P, Xu X, Cerundolo V, Jenkins E, Davis SJ, Sacha JB, Früh K, Picker LJ, Borrow P, Gillespie GM, McMichael AJ. HLA-E-restricted, Gag-specific CD8 + T cells can suppress HIV-1 infection, offering vaccine opportunities. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:eabg1703. [PMID: 33766848 PMCID: PMC8258078 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abg1703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) normally presents an HLA class Ia signal peptide to the NKG2A/C-CD94 regulatory receptors on natural killer (NK) cells and T cell subsets. Rhesus macaques immunized with a cytomegalovirus-vectored simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccine generated Mamu-E (HLA-E homolog)-restricted T cell responses that mediated post-challenge SIV replication arrest in >50% of animals. However, HIV-1-specific, HLA-E-restricted T cells have not been observed in HIV-1-infected individuals. Here, HLA-E-restricted, HIV-1-specific CD8 + T cells were primed in vitro. These T cell clones and allogeneic CD8 + T cells transduced with their T cell receptors suppressed HIV-1 replication in CD4 + T cells in vitro. Vaccine induction of efficacious HLA-E-restricted HIV-1-specific T cells should therefore be possible.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Biomarkers
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/chemistry
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- HIV Infections/immunology
- HIV Infections/metabolism
- HIV Infections/prevention & control
- HIV Infections/virology
- HIV-1/immunology
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/immunology
- Host-Pathogen Interactions/immunology
- Humans
- Immunophenotyping
- Jurkat Cells
- Lymphocyte Activation/genetics
- Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
- Peptides/chemistry
- Peptides/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity/immunology
- gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/immunology
- HLA-E Antigens
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbing Yang
- NDM Research Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Margarida Rei
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Simon Brackenridge
- NDM Research Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Elena Brenna
- NDM Research Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Hong Sun
- NDM Research Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, NDM, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Shaheed Abdulhaqq
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Michael K P Liu
- Centre For Immunology and Vaccinology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Weiwei Ma
- Centre For Immunology and Vaccinology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Prathiba Kurupati
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Xiaoning Xu
- Centre For Immunology and Vaccinology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Vincenzo Cerundolo
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Edward Jenkins
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Simon J Davis
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jonah B Sacha
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Klaus Früh
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Louis J Picker
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Persephone Borrow
- NDM Research Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Geraldine M Gillespie
- NDM Research Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Andrew J McMichael
- NDM Research Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.
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35
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Zhang H, Sun M, Wang J, Zeng B, Cao X, Han Y, Tan S, Gao GF. Identification of NY-ESO-1 157-165 Specific Murine T Cell Receptors With Distinct Recognition Pattern for Tumor Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:644520. [PMID: 33833762 PMCID: PMC8021954 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.644520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1 (NY-ESO-1) is a promising target for T-cell receptor-engineered T cell (TCR-T) therapy, and targeting the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 restricted NY-ESO-1157-165 epitope has yielded remarkable clinical benefits in the treatment of multiple advanced malignancies. Herein, we report the identification of two NY-ESO-1157-165 epitope-specific murine TCRs obtained from HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice. NY-ESO-1157-165 specific TCRs were isolated after vaccinating HLA-A2 transgenic mice with epitope peptides. HZ6 and HZ8 TCRs could specifically bind to NY-ESO-1157-165/HLA-A2 and were capable of cytokine secretion with engineered Jurkat T cells and primary T cells upon recognition with K562 target cells expressing the single-chain trimer (SCT) of NY-ESO-1157-165/HLA-A2. The reactivity profiles of the HZ6 and HZ8 TCRs were found to be distinct from one another when co-cultured with K562 target cells carrying alanine-substituted NY-ESO-1157-165 SCTs. The binding characterization revealed that the recognition pattern of the HZ6 TCR to NY-ESO-1157-165/HLA-A2 was substantially different from the widely used 1G4 TCR. These findings would broaden the understanding of immunogenicity of the NY-ESO-1157-165, and the two identified TCRs may serve as promising candidates for the future development of TCR-T therapy for tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helin Zhang
- Research Network of Immunity and Health (RNIH), Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Sun
- Research Network of Immunity and Health (RNIH), Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bin Zeng
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.,College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoqing Cao
- Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Han
- Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuguang Tan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - George F Gao
- Research Network of Immunity and Health (RNIH), Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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36
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Zhu Y, Huang C, Su M, Ge Z, Gao L, Shi Y, Wang X, Chen J. Characterization of amino acid residues of T-cell receptors interacting with HLA-A*02-restricted antigen peptides. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:495. [PMID: 33850892 PMCID: PMC8039679 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background The present study aimed to explore residues’ properties interacting with HLA-A*02-restricted peptides on T-cell receptors (TCRs) and their effects on bond types of interaction and binding free energy. Methods We searched the crystal structures of HLA-A*02-restricted peptide-TCR complexes from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) database and subsequently collected relevant parameters. We then employed Schrodinger to analyze the bond types of interaction and Gromacs 2019 to evaluate the TCR-antigen peptide complex’s molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, we compared the changes of bond types of interaction and binding free energy before and after residue substitution to ensure consistency of the conditions before and after residue substitution. Results The main sites on the antigen peptides that formed the intermolecular interaction [hydrogen bond (HB) and pi stack] with TCRs were P4, P8, P2, and P6. The hydrophobicity of the amino acids inside or outside the disulfide bond of TCRs may be related to the intermolecular interaction and binding free energy between TCRs and peptides. Residues located outside the disulfide bond of TCR α or β chains and forming pi stack force played favorable roles in the complex intermolecular interaction and binding free energy. The residues of the TCR α or β chains that interacted with peptides were replaced by alanine (Ala) or glycine (Gly), and their intermolecular binding free energy of the complex had been improved. However, it had nothing to do with the formation of HB. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that the hydrophobic nature of the amino acids inside or outside the disulfide bonds on the TCR may be associated with the intermolecular interaction and binding between the TCR and polypeptide. The residues located outside the TCR α or β single-chain disulfide bond and forming the pi-stack force showed a beneficial effect on the intermolecular interaction and binding of the complex. In addition, the part of the residues on the TCR α or β single chain that produced bond types of interaction with the polypeptide after being replaced by Ala or Gly, the intermolecular binding free energy of the complex was increased, regardless of whether HB was formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhu
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Changxin Huang
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meng Su
- Master Class, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zuanmin Ge
- Master Class, Hangzhou Normal University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lanlan Gao
- Master Class, Hangzhou Normal University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanfei Shi
- Master Class, Hangzhou Normal University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuechun Wang
- Master Class, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianfeng Chen
- Department of Proctology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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37
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Cavalluzzo B, Ragone C, Mauriello A, Petrizzo A, Manolio C, Caporale A, Vitagliano L, Ruvo M, Buonaguro L, Tagliamonte M. Identification and characterization of heteroclitic peptides in TCR-binding positions with improved HLA-binding efficacy. J Transl Med 2021; 19:89. [PMID: 33637105 PMCID: PMC7913412 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-02757-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The antigenicity as well as the immunogenicity of tumor associated antigens (TAAs) may need to be potentiated in order to break the immunological tolerance. To this aim, heteroclitic peptides were designed introducing specific substitutions in the residue at position 4 (p4) binding to TCR. The effect of such modifications also on the affinity to the major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I) molecule was assessed. The Trp2 antigen, specific for the mouse melanoma B16F10 cells, as well as the HPV-E7 antigen, specific for the TC1 tumor cell lines, were used as models. Affinity of such heteroclitic peptides to HLA was predicted by bioinformatics tools and the most promising ones were validated by structural conformational and HLA binding analyses. Overall, we demonstrated that TAAs modified at the TCR-binding p4 residue are predicted to have higher affinity to MHC-I molecules. Experimental evaluation confirms the stronger binding, suggesting that this strategy may be very effective for designing new vaccines with improved antigenic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Cavalluzzo
- Innovative Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fond. G. Pascale", Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Concetta Ragone
- Innovative Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fond. G. Pascale", Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Mauriello
- Innovative Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fond. G. Pascale", Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Annacarmen Petrizzo
- Innovative Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fond. G. Pascale", Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmen Manolio
- Innovative Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fond. G. Pascale", Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Caporale
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Naples, Italy.,Istituto Di Cristallografia-CNR, c/o area Science Park S.S. 14 Km 163.5 Basovizza, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Menotti Ruvo
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Innovative Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fond. G. Pascale", Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Tagliamonte
- Innovative Immunological Models Lab, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fond. G. Pascale", Via Mariano Semmola, 1, 80131, Naples, Italy.
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38
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CD8 Co-Receptor Enhances T-Cell Activation without Any Effect on Initial Attachment. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020429. [PMID: 33670573 PMCID: PMC7922487 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The scanning of surrounding tissues by T lymphocytes to detect cognate antigens requires high speed, sensitivity and specificity. T-cell receptor (TCR) co-receptors such as CD8 increase detection performance, but the exact mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here, we used a laminar flow chamber to measure at the single molecule level the kinetics of bond formation and rupture between TCR- transfected CD8+ and CD8− Jurkat cells and surfaces coated with five peptide-exposing major histocompatibility antigens (pMHCs) of varying activating power. We also used interference reflection microscopy to image the spreading of these cells dropped on pMHC-exposing surfaces. CD8 did not influence the TCR–pMHC interaction during the first few seconds following cell surface encounter, but it promoted the subsequent spreading responses, suggesting that CD8 was involved in early activation rather than binding. Further, the rate and extent of spreading, but not the lag between contact and spreading initiation, depended on the pMHC. Elucidating T-lymphocyte detection strategy may help unravel underlying signaling networks.
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39
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Smith AR, Alonso JA, Ayres CM, Singh NK, Hellman LM, Baker BM. Structurally silent peptide anchor modifications allosterically modulate T cell recognition in a receptor-dependent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2018125118. [PMID: 33468649 PMCID: PMC7848747 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018125118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Presentation of peptides by class I MHC proteins underlies T cell immune responses to pathogens and cancer. The association between peptide binding affinity and immunogenicity has led to the engineering of modified peptides with improved MHC binding, with the hope that these peptides would be useful for eliciting cross-reactive immune responses directed toward their weak binding, unmodified counterparts. Increasing evidence, however, indicates that T cell receptors (TCRs) can perceive such anchor-modified peptides differently than wild-type (WT) peptides, although the scope of discrimination is unclear. We show here that even modifications at primary anchors that have no discernible structural impact can lead to substantially stronger or weaker T cell recognition depending on the TCR. Surprisingly, the effect of peptide anchor modification can be sensed by a TCR at regions distant from the site of modification, indicating a through-protein mechanism in which the anchor residue serves as an allosteric modulator for TCR binding. Our findings emphasize caution in the use and interpretation of results from anchor-modified peptides and have implications for how anchor modifications are accounted for in other circumstances, such as predicting the immunogenicity of tumor neoantigens. Our data also highlight an important need to better understand the highly tunable dynamic nature of class I MHC proteins and the impact this has on various forms of immune recognition.
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MESH Headings
- Allosteric Regulation
- Binding Sites
- Cloning, Molecular
- Crystallography, X-Ray
- Escherichia coli/genetics
- Escherichia coli/metabolism
- Gene Expression
- Genetic Vectors/chemistry
- Genetic Vectors/metabolism
- HLA-A2 Antigen/chemistry
- HLA-A2 Antigen/genetics
- HLA-A2 Antigen/immunology
- Humans
- Jurkat Cells
- Kinetics
- Models, Molecular
- Peptides/chemistry
- Peptides/genetics
- Peptides/immunology
- Protein Binding
- Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical
- Protein Conformation, beta-Strand
- Protein Engineering
- Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Recombinant Proteins/chemistry
- Recombinant Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Proteins/immunology
- Th2 Cells/cytology
- Th2 Cells/immunology
- Thermodynamics
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Jesus A Alonso
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Cory M Ayres
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Nishant K Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Lance M Hellman
- Department of Physical and Life Sciences, Nevada State College, Henderson, NV 89002
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556;
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
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40
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Jones HF, Molvi Z, Klatt MG, Dao T, Scheinberg DA. Empirical and Rational Design of T Cell Receptor-Based Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2021; 11:585385. [PMID: 33569049 PMCID: PMC7868419 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.585385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of T cells reactive with intracellular tumor-associated or tumor-specific antigens has been a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapies in the past three decades, but the approach has been constrained by a limited understanding of the T cell receptor's (TCR) complex functions and specificities. Newer TCR and T cell-based approaches are in development, including engineered adoptive T cells with enhanced TCR affinities, TCR mimic antibodies, and T cell-redirecting bispecific agents. These new therapeutic modalities are exciting opportunities by which TCR recognition can be further exploited for therapeutic benefit. In this review we summarize the development of TCR-based therapeutic strategies and focus on balancing efficacy and potency versus specificity, and hence, possible toxicity, of these powerful therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather F. Jones
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zaki Molvi
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Martin G. Klatt
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Tao Dao
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - David A. Scheinberg
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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41
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Lee MN, Meyerson M. Antigen identification for HLA class I- and HLA class II-restricted T cell receptors using cytokine-capturing antigen-presenting cells. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:6/55/eabf4001. [PMID: 33483338 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abf4001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A major limitation to understanding the associations of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and CD8+ and CD4+ T cell receptor (TCR) genes with disease pathophysiology is the technological barrier of identifying which HLA molecules, epitopes, and TCRs form functional complexes. Here, we present a high-throughput epitope identification system that combines capture of T cell-secreted cytokines by barcoded antigen-presenting cells (APCs), cell sorting, and next-generation sequencing to identify class I- and class II-restricted epitopes starting from highly complex peptide-encoding oligonucleotide pools. We engineered APCs to express anti-cytokine antibodies, a library of DNA-encoded peptides, and multiple HLA class I or II molecules. We demonstrate that these engineered APCs link T cell activation-dependent cytokines with the DNA that encodes the presented peptide. We validated this technology by showing that we could select known targets of viral epitope-, neoepitope-, and autoimmune epitope-specific TCRs, starting from mixtures of peptide-encoding oligonucleotides. Then, starting from 10 TCRβ sequences that are found commonly in humans but lack known targets, we identified seven CD8+ or CD4+ TCR-targeted epitopes encoded by the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome. These included known epitopes, as well as a class I and a class II CMV epitope that have not been previously described. Thus, our cytokine capture-based assay makes use of a signal secreted by both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and allows pooled screening of thousands of encoded peptides to enable epitope discovery for orphan TCRs. Our technology may enable identification of HLA-epitope-TCR complexes relevant to disease control, etiology, or treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark N Lee
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA. .,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Matthew Meyerson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA. .,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Departments of Genetics and Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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42
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Bai P, Li Y, Zhou Q, Xia J, Wei PC, Deng H, Wu M, Chan SK, Kappler JW, Zhou Y, Tran E, Marrack P, Yin L. Immune-based mutation classification enables neoantigen prioritization and immune feature discovery in cancer immunotherapy. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1868130. [PMID: 33537173 PMCID: PMC7833777 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1868130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic mutations lead to the production of mutated proteins from which peptides are presented to T cells as cancer neoantigens. Evidence suggests that T cells that target neoantigens are the main mediators of effective cancer immunotherapies. Although algorithms have been used to predict neoantigens, only a minority are immunogenic. The factors that influence neoantigen immunogenicity are not completely understood. Here, we classified human neoantigen/neopeptide data into three categories based on their TCR-pMHC binding events. We observed a conservative mutant orientation of the anchor residue from immunogenic neoantigens which we termed the “NP” rule. By integrating this rule with an existing prediction algorithm, we found improved performance in neoantigen prioritization. To better understand this rule, we solved several neoantigen/MHC structures. These structures showed that neoantigens that follow this rule not only increase peptide-MHC binding affinity but also create new TCR-binding features. These molecular insights highlight the value of immune-based classification in neoantigen studies and may enable the design of more effective cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongzheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiuping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiaqi Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Wei
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, USA
| | - Hexiang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers, Ministry of Education, the Institute for Advanced Studies, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Min Wu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Sanny K Chan
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, USA.,Division of Pediatric Allergy-Immunology, National Jewish Health, Denver, USA
| | - John W Kappler
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, USA.,Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado, Aurora, USA.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, USA.,Structural Biology and Biochemistry Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Eric Tran
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Robert W. Franz Cancer Center, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, USA
| | - Philippa Marrack
- Department of Biomedical Research, National Jewish Health, Denver, USA.,Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Lei Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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43
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Lippert AH, Dimov IB, Winkel AK, Humphrey J, McColl J, Chen KY, Santos AM, Jenkins E, Franze K, Davis SJ, Klenerman D. Soft Polydimethylsiloxane-Supported Lipid Bilayers for Studying T Cell Interactions. Biophys J 2021; 120:35-45. [PMID: 33248128 PMCID: PMC7820804 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Much of what we know about the early stages of T cell activation has been obtained from studies of T cells interacting with glass-supported lipid bilayers that favor imaging but are orders of magnitude stiffer than typical cells. We developed a method for attaching lipid bilayers to polydimethylsiloxane polymer supports, producing "soft bilayers" with physiological levels of mechanical resistance (Young's modulus of 4 kPa). Comparisons of T cell behavior on soft and glass-supported bilayers revealed that whereas late stages of T cell activation are thought to be substrate-stiffness dependent, early calcium signaling was unaffected by substrate rigidity, implying that early steps in T cell receptor triggering are not mechanosensitive. The exclusion of large receptor-type phosphatases was observed on the soft bilayers, however, even though it is yet to be demonstrated at authentic cell-cell contacts. This work sets the stage for an imaging-based exploration of receptor signaling under conditions closely mimicking physiological cell-cell contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna H Lippert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Ivan B Dimov
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander K Winkel
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Humphrey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James McColl
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Y Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ana M Santos
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine and MRC Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Jenkins
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine and MRC Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kristian Franze
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J Davis
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine and MRC Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Klenerman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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44
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TCR Recognition of Peptide-MHC-I: Rule Makers and Breakers. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010068. [PMID: 33374673 PMCID: PMC7793522 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells are a critical part of the adaptive immune system that are able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy cells. Upon recognition of protein fragments (peptides), activated T cells will contribute to the immune response and help clear infection. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, or human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in humans, bind these peptides to present them to T cells that recognise them with their surface T cell receptors (TCR). This recognition event is the first step that leads to T cell activation, and in turn can dictate disease outcomes. The visualisation of TCR interaction with pMHC using structural biology has been crucial in understanding this key event, unravelling the parameters that drive this interaction and their impact on the immune response. The last five years has been the most productive within the field, wherein half of current unique TCR-pMHC-I structures to date were determined within this time. Here, we review the new insights learned from these recent TCR-pMHC-I structures and their impact on T cell activation.
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45
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Crean RM, MacLachlan BJ, Madura F, Whalley T, Rizkallah PJ, Holland CJ, McMurran C, Harper S, Godkin A, Sewell AK, Pudney CR, van der Kamp MW, Cole DK. Molecular Rules Underpinning Enhanced Affinity Binding of Human T Cell Receptors Engineered for Immunotherapy. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2020; 18:443-456. [PMID: 32913893 PMCID: PMC7452143 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2020.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Immuno-oncology approaches that utilize T cell receptors (TCRs) are becoming highly attractive because of their potential to target virtually all cellular proteins, including cancer-specific epitopes, via the recognition of peptide-human leukocyte antigen (pHLA) complexes presented at the cell surface. However, because natural TCRs generally recognize cancer-derived pHLAs with very weak affinities, efforts have been made to enhance their binding strength, in some cases by several million-fold. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underpinning human TCR affinity enhancement by comparing the crystal structures of engineered enhanced affinity TCRs with those of their wild-type progenitors. Additionally, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to better understand the energetic mechanisms driving the affinity enhancements. These data demonstrate that supra-physiological binding affinities can be achieved without altering native TCR-pHLA binding modes via relatively subtle modifications to the interface contacts, often driven through the addition of buried hydrophobic residues. Individual energetic components of the TCR-pHLA interaction governing affinity enhancements were distinct and highly variable for each TCR, often resulting from additive, or knock-on, effects beyond the mutated residues. This comprehensive analysis of affinity-enhanced TCRs has important implications for the future rational design of engineered TCRs as efficacious and safe drugs for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory M. Crean
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- Doctoral Training Centre in Sustainable Chemical Technologies, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Florian Madura
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Thomas Whalley
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew Godkin
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Andrew K. Sewell
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Christopher R. Pudney
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- Centre for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Marc W. van der Kamp
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - David K. Cole
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
- Immunocore, Ltd., Abingdon, OX14 4RY, UK
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46
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Sachs A, Moore E, Kosaloglu-Yalcin Z, Peters B, Sidney J, Rosenberg SA, Robbins PF, Sette A. Impact of Cysteine Residues on MHC Binding Predictions and Recognition by Tumor-Reactive T Cells. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2020; 205:539-549. [PMID: 32571843 PMCID: PMC7413297 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1901173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The availability of MHC-binding prediction tools has been useful in guiding studies aimed at identifying candidate target Ags to generate reactive T cells and to characterize viral and tumor-reactive T cells. Nevertheless, prediction algorithms appear to function poorly for epitopes containing cysteine (Cys) residues, which can oxidize and form disulfide bonds with other Cys residues under oxidizing conditions, thus potentially interfering with their ability to bind to MHC molecules. Analysis of the results of HLA-A*02:01 class I binding assays carried out in the presence and absence of the reducing agent 2-ME indicated that the predicted affinity for 25% of Cys-containing epitopes was underestimated by a factor of 3 or more. Additional analyses were undertaken to evaluate the responses of human CD8+ tumor-reactive T cells against 10 Cys-containing HLA class I-restricted minimal determinants containing substitutions of α-aminobutyric acid (AABA), a cysteine analogue containing a methyl group in place of the sulfhydryl group present in Cys, for the native Cys residues. Substitutions of AABA for Cys at putative MHC anchor positions often significantly enhanced T cell recognition, whereas substitutions at non-MHC anchor positions were neutral, except for one epitope where this modification abolished T cell recognition. These findings demonstrate the need to evaluate MHC binding and T cell recognition of Cys-containing peptides under conditions that prevent Cys oxidation, and to adjust current prediction binding algorithms for HLA-A*02:01 and potentially additional class I alleles to more accurately rank peptides containing Cys anchor residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Sachs
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1201
| | - Eugene Moore
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037; and
| | | | - Bjoern Peters
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037; and
| | - John Sidney
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037; and
| | - Steven A Rosenberg
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1201
| | - Paul F Robbins
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1201;
| | - Alessandro Sette
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037; and
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92122
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47
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Wu D, Gallagher DT, Gowthaman R, Pierce BG, Mariuzza RA. Structural basis for oligoclonal T cell recognition of a shared p53 cancer neoantigen. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2908. [PMID: 32518267 PMCID: PMC7283474 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16755-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-specific T cells can mediate cancer regression. The main target of tumor-specific T cells are neoantigens arising from mutations in self-proteins. Although the majority of cancer neoantigens are unique to each patient, and therefore not broadly useful for ACT, some are shared. We studied oligoclonal T-cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize a shared neoepitope arising from a driver mutation in the p53 oncogene (p53R175H) presented by HLA-A2. Here we report structures of wild-type and mutant p53-HLA-A2 ligands, as well as structures of three tumor-specific TCRs bound to p53R175H-HLA-A2. These structures reveal how a driver mutation in p53 rendered a self-peptide visible to T cells. The TCRs employ structurally distinct strategies that are highly focused on the mutation to discriminate between mutant and wild-type p53. The TCR-p53R175H-HLA-A2 complexes provide a framework for designing TCRs to improve potency for ACT without sacrificing specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichao Wu
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - D Travis Gallagher
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaitherburg, MD, 20899, USA
| | - Ragul Gowthaman
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Brian G Pierce
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Roy A Mariuzza
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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48
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Moritz A, Anjanappa R, Wagner C, Bunk S, Hofmann M, Pszolla G, Saikia A, Garcia-Alai M, Meijers R, Rammensee HG, Springer S, Maurer D. High-throughput peptide-MHC complex generation and kinetic screenings of TCRs with peptide-receptive HLA-A*02:01 molecules. Sci Immunol 2020; 4:4/37/eaav0860. [PMID: 31324691 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aav0860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules present short peptide ligands on the cell surface for interrogation by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. MHC class I complexes presenting tumor-associated peptides such as neoantigens represent key targets of cancer immunotherapy approaches currently in development, making them important for efficacy and safety screenings. Without peptide ligand, MHC class I complexes are unstable and decay quickly, making the production of soluble monomers for analytical purposes labor intensive. We have developed a disulfide-stabilized HLA-A*02:01 molecule that is stable without peptide but can form peptide-MHC complexes (pMHCs) with ligands of choice in a one-step loading procedure. We illustrate the similarity between the engineered mutant and the wild-type molecule with respect to affinity of wild-type or affinity-matured T cell receptors (TCRs) and present a crystal structure corroborating the binding kinetics measurements. In addition, we demonstrate a high-throughput binding kinetics measurement platform to analyze the binding characteristics of bispecific TCR (bsTCR) molecules against diverse pMHC libraries produced with the disulfide-stabilized HLA-A*02:01 molecule. We show that bsTCR affinities for pMHCs are indicative of in vitro function and generate a bsTCR binding motif to identify potential off-target interactions in the human proteome. These findings showcase the potential of the platform and the engineered HLA-A*02:01 molecule in the emerging field of pMHC-targeting biologics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Moritz
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ankur Saikia
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany
| | - Maria Garcia-Alai
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg Outstation, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rob Meijers
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg Outstation, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Rammensee
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Springer
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany
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High-affinity oligoclonal TCRs define effective adoptive T cell therapy targeting mutant KRAS-G12D. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:12826-12835. [PMID: 32461371 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921964117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Complete cancer regression occurs in a subset of patients following adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) of ex vivo expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). However, the low success rate presents a great challenge to broader clinical application. To provide insight into TIL-based immunotherapy, we studied a successful case of ACT where regression was observed against tumors carrying the hotspot mutation G12D in the KRAS oncogene. Four T cell receptors (TCRs) made up the TIL infusion and recognized two KRAS-G12D neoantigens, a nonamer and a decamer, all restricted by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) C*08:02. Three of them (TCR9a, 9b, and 9c) were nonamer-specific, while one was decamer-specific (TCR10). We show that only mutant G12D but not the wild-type peptides stabilized HLA-C*08:02 due to the formation of a critical anchor salt bridge to HLA-C. Therapeutic TCRs exhibited high affinities, ranging from nanomolar to low micromolar. Intriguingly, TCR binding affinities to HLA-C inversely correlated with their persistence in vivo, suggesting the importance of antigenic affinity in the function of therapeutic T cells. Crystal structures of TCR-HLA-C complexes revealed that TCR9a to 9c recognized G12D nonamer with multiple conserved contacts through shared CDR2β and CDR3α. This allowed CDR3β variation to confer different affinities via a variable HLA-C contact, generating an oligoclonal response. TCR10 recognized an induced and distinct G12D decamer conformation. Thus, this successful case of ACT included oligoclonal TCRs of high affinity recognizing distinct conformations of neoantigens. Our study revealed the potential of a structural approach to inform clinical efforts in targeting KRAS-G12D tumors by immunotherapy and has general implications for T cell-based immunotherapies.
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Saeed M, Schooten E, van Brakel M, K. Cole D, ten Hagen TLM, Debets R. T Cells Expressing a TCR-Like Antibody Selected Against the Heteroclitic Variant of a Shared MAGE-A Epitope Do Not Recognise the Cognate Epitope. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051255. [PMID: 32429338 PMCID: PMC7281252 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies-recognising peptides bound to the major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) represent potentially valuable and promising targets for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to treat patients with cancer. Here, a human phage-Fab library has been selected using HLA-A2 complexed with a heteroclitic peptide variant from an epitope shared among multiple melanoma-associated antigens (MAGEs). DNA restriction analyses and phage ELISAs confirmed selection of unique antibody clones that specifically bind to HLA-A2 complexes or HLA-A2-positive target cells loaded with native or heteroclitic peptide. Antibodies selected against heteroclitic peptide, in contrast to native peptide, demonstrated significantly lower to even negligible binding towards native peptide or tumour cells that naturally expressed peptides. The binding to native peptide was not rescued by phage panning with antigen-positive tumour cells. Importantly, when antibodies directed against heteroclitic peptides were engineered into CARs and expressed by T cells, binding to native peptides and tumour cells was minimal to absent. In short, TCR-like antibodies, when isolated from a human Fab phage library using heteroclitic peptide, fail to recognise its native peptide. We therefore argue that peptide modifications to improve antibody selections should be performed with caution as resulting antibodies, either used directly or as CARs, may lose activity towards endogenously presented tumour epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mesha Saeed
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Erik Schooten
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (E.S.); (M.v.B.); (R.D.)
| | - Mandy van Brakel
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (E.S.); (M.v.B.); (R.D.)
| | - David K. Cole
- Division of Infection and Immunity and Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK;
| | - Timo L. M. ten Hagen
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
- Correspondence:
| | - Reno Debets
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (E.S.); (M.v.B.); (R.D.)
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