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Bentzen AK, Hadrup SR. T-cell-receptor cross-recognition and strategies to select safe T-cell receptors for clinical translation. IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY 2019; 2:1-10. [PMID: 35036898 PMCID: PMC8741623 DOI: 10.1016/j.iotech.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of T-cell-receptor (TCR)-transduced T cells has shown promising results for cancer treatment, but has also produced severe immunotoxicities caused by on-target as well as off-target TCR recognition. Off-target toxicities are related to the ability of a single T cell to cross-recognize and respond to several different peptide–major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) antigens; a property that is essential for providing broad antigenic coverage despite a confined number of unique TCRs in the human body. However, this degeneracy makes it incredibly difficult to account for the range of targets that any TCR might recognize, which represents a major challenge for the clinical development of therapeutic TCRs. The prospect of using affinity-optimized TCRs has been impeded due to observations that affinity enhancement might alter the specificity of a TCR, thereby increasing the risk that it will cross-recognize endogenous tissue. Strategies for selecting safe TCRs for the clinic have included functional assessment after individual incubations with tissue-derived primary cells or with peptides substituted with single amino acids. However, these strategies have not been able to predict cross-recognition sufficiently, leading to fatal cross-reactivity in clinical trials. Novel technologies have emerged that enable extensive characterization of the exact interaction points of a TCR with pMHC, which provides a foundation from which to make predictions of the cross-recognition potential of individual TCRs. This review describes current advances in strategies for dissecting the molecular interaction points of TCRs, focusing on their potential as tools for predicting cross-recognition of TCRs in clinical development. T-cell-receptor (TCR) degeneracy plays a fundamental role in the capacity of our immune systems to recognize foreign antigens. TCR cross-reactivity provides an inherent risk in TCR–gene transfer cell therapies. Advances in description of TCR cross-recognition can guide the selection process for TCRs into clinical use.
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2
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Riley TP, Baker BM. The intersection of affinity and specificity in the development and optimization of T cell receptor based therapeutics. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 84:30-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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3
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Zhou CY, Wang RN, Wen Q, He WT, Zhang SM, Du XL, Yang JH, Ma L. Alanine Mutagenesis in the Complementarity Determining Region 3 of the MTB and HIV-1 Peptide-Bispecific T Cell Receptor Beta Chain Affects Ligand Recognition. Front Immunol 2017; 8:983. [PMID: 28861087 PMCID: PMC5561015 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis/human immunodeficiency virus (MTB/HIV) coinfection presents a special challenge to the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Adoptive transfer of high-affinity T cell receptor (TCR) gene-modified T cells against MTB and HIV antigens is a promising approach to treating MTB/HIV coinfected patients whose cellular immunity is obviously disordered. We have previously successfully identified that a bispecific TCR screened out from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a HLA-A*0201+ healthy individual using the complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) spectratype analysis recognizes both MTB Ag85B199–207 and HIV-1 Env120–128 peptide. However, it has not been known how residues on CDR3 loops, which have been shown to play a leading role in antigen binding and specificity contribute to the bispecific TCR contact with the peptide–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) complexes. In this study, we provided an extensive investigation of residues in the predicted CDR3 of the bispecific TCR beta (β) chain using alanine scanning mutagenesis. Our data showed that three of the five substituted residues (G115A, T116A, A117G) in CDR3β of the bispecific TCR caused a significantly diminished T cell response to antigen, whereas the remaining two substituted residues (D114A, S118A) resulted in completely eliminated response, thus identifying the two residues that were particularly critical for the recognition of peptide–MHC in the bispecific TCR. These findings will provide an imperative foundation for generating an improved high-affinity bispecific TCR for use in T cell adoptive immunotherapy for MTB/HIV coinfected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Ying Zhou
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui-Ning Wang
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Wen
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Ting He
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Meng Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xia-Lin Du
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Hui Yang
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Ma
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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4
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Seo YJ, Jothikumar P, Suthar MS, Zhu C, Grakoui A. Local Cellular and Cytokine Cues in the Spleen Regulate In Situ T Cell Receptor Affinity, Function, and Fate of CD8 + T Cells. Immunity 2016; 45:988-998. [PMID: 27851926 PMCID: PMC5131716 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
T cells rapidly undergo contraction upon viral clearance, but how T cell function and fate are determined during this phase is unclear. During the contraction phase of an acute infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, we found that virus-specific CD8+ T cells within the splenic red pulp (RP) had higher two-dimensional (2D) effective affinity than those within the white pulp (WP). This increased antigen recognition of RP-derived CD8+ T cells correlated with more efficient target cell killing and improved control of viremia. FoxP3+ regulatory T cells and cytokine TGF-β limited the 2D-affinity in the WP during the contraction phase. Anatomical location drove gene expression patterns in CD8+ T cells that led to preferential differentiation of memory precursor WP T cells into long-term memory cells. These results highlight that intricate regulation of T cell function and fate is determined by anatomic compartmentalization during the early immune contraction phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Jin Seo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Prithiviraj Jothikumar
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Mehul S Suthar
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Arash Grakoui
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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5
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Smith SN, Sommermeyer D, Piepenbrink KH, Blevins SJ, Bernhard H, Uckert W, Baker BM, Kranz DM. Plasticity in the contribution of T cell receptor variable region residues to binding of peptide-HLA-A2 complexes. J Mol Biol 2013; 425:4496-507. [PMID: 23954306 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
One hypothesis accounting for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction by T cell receptors (TCRs) holds that there are several evolutionary conserved residues in TCR variable regions that contact MHC. While this "germline codon" hypothesis is supported by various lines of evidence, it has been difficult to test. The difficulty stems in part from the fact that TCRs exhibit low affinities for pep/MHC, thus limiting the range of binding energies that can be assigned to these key interactions using mutational analyses. To measure the magnitude of binding energies involved, here we used high-affinity TCRs engineered by mutagenesis of CDR3. The TCRs included a high-affinity, MART-1/HLA-A2-specific single-chain TCR and two other high-affinity TCRs that all contain the same Vα region and recognize the same MHC allele (HLA-A2), with different peptides and Vβ regions. Mutational analysis of residues in CDR1 and CDR2 of the three Vα2 regions showed the importance of the key germline codon residue Y51. However, two other proposed key residues showed significant differences among the TCRs in their relative contributions to binding. With the use of single-position, yeast-display libraries in two of the key residues, MART-1/HLA-A2 selections also revealed strong preferences for wild-type germline codon residues, but several alternative residues could also accommodate binding and, hence, MHC restriction. Thus, although a single residue (Y51) could account for a proportion of the energy associated with positive selection (i.e., MHC restriction), there is significant plasticity in requirements for particular side chains in CDR1 and CDR2 and in their relative binding contributions among different TCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena N Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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6
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Tikhonova AN, Van Laethem F, Hanada KI, Lu J, Pobezinsky LA, Hong C, Guinter TI, Jeurling SK, Bernhardt G, Park JH, Yang JC, Sun PD, Singer A. αβ T cell receptors that do not undergo major histocompatibility complex-specific thymic selection possess antibody-like recognition specificities. Immunity 2011; 36:79-91. [PMID: 22209676 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Revised: 10/26/2011] [Accepted: 11/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction is the cardinal feature of T cell antigen recognition and is thought to be intrinsic to αβ T cell receptor (TCR) structure because of germline-encoded residues that impose MHC specificity. Here, we analyzed αβTCRs from T cells that had not undergone MHC-specific thymic selection. Instead of recognizing peptide-MHC complexes, the two αβTCRs studied here resembled antibodies in recognizing glycosylation-dependent conformational epitopes on a native self-protein, CD155, and they did so with high affinity independently of MHC molecules. Ligand recognition was via the αβTCR combining site and involved the identical germline-encoded residues that have been thought to uniquely impose MHC specificity, demonstrating that these residues do not only promote MHC binding. This study demonstrates that, without MHC-specific thymic selection, αβTCRs can resemble antibodies in recognizing conformational epitopes on MHC-independent ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia N Tikhonova
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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7
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Stone JD, Chervin AS, Kranz DM. T-cell receptor binding affinities and kinetics: impact on T-cell activity and specificity. Immunology 2009; 126:165-76. [PMID: 19125887 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2008.03015.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction between the T-cell receptor (TCR) and its peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pepMHC) ligand plays a critical role in determining the activity and specificity of the T cell. The binding properties associated with these interactions have now been studied in many systems, providing a framework for a mechanistic understanding of the initial events that govern T-cell function. There have been various other reviews that have described the structural and biochemical features of TCR : pepMHC interactions. Here we provide an overview of four areas that directly impact our understanding of T-cell function, as viewed from the perspective of the TCR : pepMHC interaction: (1) relationships between T-cell activity and TCR : pepMHC binding parameters, (2) TCR affinity, avidity and clustering, (3) influence of coreceptors on pepMHC binding by TCRs and T-cell activity, and (4) impact of TCR binding affinity on antigenic peptide specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Stone
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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8
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Alli R, Nguyen P, Geiger TL. Retrogenic modeling of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis associates T cell frequency but not TCR functional affinity with pathogenicity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 181:136-45. [PMID: 18566378 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.1.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The properties of a self-specific T cell's TCR that determine its pathogenicity are not well understood. We developed TCR retroviral transgenic, or retrogenic, models of myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein (MOG)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) to compare the pathologic potential of five H-2 Ab/MOG35-55-specific TCRs. The TCRs were cloned and retrovirally transduced into either TCRalphabeta-deficient hybridoma cells or Rag1-/- bone marrow progenitor cells. Comparison of the hybridomas, identical except for TCR sequence, revealed distinct responsiveness, or functionally determined affinity, for cognate Ag. Retrogenic mice were produced by transfer of transduced progenitor cells into Rag1-/- recipients. T cells were detected within 4 wk. Engraftment levels varied considerably among the different TCRs and showed separate variability among individual mice. T cells were predominantly naive and virtually exclusively CD4+ and CD25-. Relative responses of the retrogenic T cells to Ag paralleled those of the hybridoma cells. Induction of EAE through active immunization led to rapid and severe disease in all mice expressing MOG-specific TCR. The mice additionally developed spontaneous disease, the incidence of which varied with the individual receptors. Interestingly, spontaneous disease frequency and intensity could not be correlated with the functional affinity of the respective TCR. Instead, it was associated with engraftment level, even when measured weeks before the onset of disease symptoms. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using retrogenic modeling to compare TCRs in the EAE system. They further suggest that affinity is not a primary determinant in spontaneous EAE development in mice expressing monotypic TCRs and that autoreactive T cell frequency is of greater significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajshekhar Alli
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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9
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Robbins PF, Li YF, El-Gamil M, Zhao Y, Wargo JA, Zheng Z, Xu H, Morgan RA, Feldman SA, Johnson LA, Bennett AD, Dunn SM, Mahon TM, Jakobsen BK, Rosenberg SA. Single and dual amino acid substitutions in TCR CDRs can enhance antigen-specific T cell functions. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2008; 180:6116-31. [PMID: 18424733 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.9.6116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Single and dual amino acid substitution variants were generated in the TCR CDRs of three TCRs that recognize tumor-associated Ags. Substitutions that enhance the reactivity of TCR gene-modified T cells to the cognate Ag complex were identified using a rapid RNA-based transfection system. The screening of a panel of variants of the 1G4 TCR, that recognizes a peptide corresponding to amino acid residues 157-165 of the human cancer testis Ag NY-ESO-1 (SLLMWITQC) in the context of the HLA-A*02 class I allele, resulted in the identification of single and dual CDR3alpha and CDR2beta amino acid substitutions that dramatically enhanced the specific recognition of NY-ESO-1(+)/HLA-A*02(+) tumor cell lines by TCR gene-modified CD4(+) T cells. Within this group of improved TCRs, a dual substitution in the 1G4 TCR CDR3alpha chain was identified that enhanced Ag-specific reactivity in gene-modified CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Separate experiments on two distinct TCRs that recognize the MART-1 27-35 (AAGIGILTV) peptide/HLA-A*02 Ag complex characterized single amino acid substitutions in both TCRs that enhanced CD4(+) T cell Ag-specific reactivity. These results indicate that simple TCR substitution variants that enhance T cell function can be identified by rapid transfection and assay techniques, providing the means for generating potent Ag complex-specific TCR genes for use in the study of T cell interactions and in T cell adoptive immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F Robbins
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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10
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11
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Tian S, Maile R, Collins EJ, Frelinger JA. CD8+ T cell activation is governed by TCR-peptide/MHC affinity, not dissociation rate. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2007; 179:2952-60. [PMID: 17709510 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.179.5.2952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Binding of peptide/MHC (pMHC) complexes by TCR initiates T cell activation. Despite long interest, the exact relationship between the biochemistry of TCR/pMHC interaction (particularly TCR affinity or ligand off-rate) and T cell responses remains unresolved, because the number of complexes examined in each independent system has been too small to draw a definitive conclusion. To test the current models of T cell activation, we have analyzed the interactions between the mouse P14 TCR and a set of altered peptides based on the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus epitope gp33-41 sequence bound to mouse class I MHC D(b). pMHC binding, TCR-binding characteristics, CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity, and IFN-gamma production were measured for the peptides. We found affinity correlated well with both cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma production. In contrast, no correlation was observed between any kinetic parameter of TCR-pMHC interaction and cytotoxicity or IFN-gamma production. This study strongly argues for an affinity threshold model of T cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaomin Tian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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12
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Male D, Brostoff J, Roth DB, Roitt I. T Cell Receptors and MHC Molecules. Immunology 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/b0-323-03399-7/50007-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
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13
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Mareeva T, Lebedeva T, Anikeeva N, Manser T, Sykulev Y. Antibody specific for the peptide.major histocompatibility complex. Is it T cell receptor-like? J Biol Chem 2004; 279:44243-9. [PMID: 15302863 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m407021200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies recognizing peptide bound to a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) protein usually have a higher affinity for the composite peptide.MHC (pMHC) ligand than T cell receptors (TCR) with the same specificity. Because the solvent-accessible peptide area constitutes only a small portion of the contacting pMHC surface, we hypothesized that the contribution of the MHC moiety to the TCR-pMHC complex stability is limited, ensuring a small increment of the binding energy delivered by the peptide to be distinguishable by the TCR or the peptide-specific antibody. This suggests that the gain in affinity of the antibody-pMHC interaction can be achieved through an increase in the on-rate without a significant change in the off-rate of the interaction. To test the hypothesis, we have analyzed the binding of an ovalbumin peptide (pOV8) and its variants associated with soluble H-2Kb protein to the 25-D1.16 monoclonal antibody and compared it with the binding of the same pMHC complexes to the OT-1 TCR. This comparison revealed a substantially higher on-rate of the antibody-pMHC interaction compared with the TCR-pMHC interaction. In contrast, both the antibody and the TCR-pMHC complexes exhibited comparably fast off-rates. Sequencing of the 25-D1.16 VH and VL genes showed that they have very few somatic mutations and those occur mainly in framework regions. We propose that the above features constitute a signature of the recognition of MHC-bound peptide antigens by TCR and TCR-like antibodies, which could explain why the latter are rarely produced in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Mareeva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA
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14
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Abstract
Over the past decade, key protein interactions contributing to T cell antigen recognition have been characterized in molecular detail. These have included interactions involving the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) itself, its coreceptors CD4 and CD8, the accessory molecule CD2, and the costimulatory receptors CD28 and CTLA-4. A clear view is emerging of how these molecules interact with their ligands at the cell-cell interface. Structural and binding studies have confirmed that the proteins span small but comparable distances and that, overall, they interact very weakly. However, there have been important surprises as well: that TCR interactions with peptide-MHC are topologically constrained and characterized by considerable conformational flexibility at the binding interface; that coreceptors engage peptide-MHC with extraordinarily fast kinetics and at angles apparently precluding direct interactions with the TCR bound to the same peptide-MHC; that the structural mechanisms allowing recognition by costimulatory and accessory molecules to be weak and yet specific are very heterogeneous; and that because of differences in both binding affinity and stoichiometry, there is enormous variation in the stability of the various costimulatory receptor/ligand complexes. These studies provide the necessary framework for exploring how these molecular interactions initiate T cell activation.
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15
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Starwalt SE, Masteller EL, Bluestone JA, Kranz DM. Directed evolution of a single-chain class II MHC product by yeast display. Protein Eng Des Sel 2003; 16:147-56. [PMID: 12676983 DOI: 10.1093/proeng/gzg018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Many autoimmune diseases have been linked to the class II region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The linkage is thought to be a result of autoreactive T cells that recognize self-peptides bound to a product of this locus. For example, T cells from non-obese diabetic mice recognize specific 'diabetogenic' peptides bound to a class II MHC allele called I-A(g7). The I-A(g7) molecule is noted for being unstable and difficult to work with, especially in soluble form. In this work, yeast surface display combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used as a means of directed evolution to engineer stabilized variants of a single-chain form of I-A(g7). A library containing mutations at two residues (positions 56 and 57 of the I-A(g7) beta-chain) that are important in the class II disease associations yielded stabilized mutants with preferences for a glutamic acid at residue 56 and a leucine at residue 57. Random mutation of I-A(g7) followed by selection with an anti-I-A(g7) antibody also yielded stabilized variants with mutations in other residues. The methods described here allow the discovery of novel MHC complexes that could facilitate structural studies and provide new opportunities in the development of diagnostics or antagonists of class II MHC-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott E Starwalt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, 600 S Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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16
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Abstract
Crystal structures of 11 complexes of TCRs with peptide/MHC (pMHC), that represent 6 independent TCRs, constitute the current structural database for deriving general insights into how alphabeta TCRs recognise peptide-bound MHC class I or class II. The TCRs adopt a roughly diagonal orientation on top of the pMHCs, but the identification of a set of conserved interactions that dictate this orientation is not apparent. Furthermore, the specific interaction of each TCR with its cognate pMHC partner is quite variable and also involves bound water molecules at the TCR/pMHC interface. In two of the systems, the structural basis for binding of altered peptide ligands has illustrated that the only significant conformational changes occur in the TCR/pMHC interface, but their small magnitude is inconsistent with the enormous variation in signalling outcomes. The TCRs adjust to different agonist, partial agonist and antagonist peptides by subtle conformational changes in their complementarity-determining regions, as previously observed in induced-fit mechanisms of antibody/antigen recognition. Alloreactive-complex structures determined or modelled so far indicate increased interactions of the TCR beta-chain with the pMHC compared with their syngeneic counterparts.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigen Presentation/immunology
- Humans
- Ligands
- Major Histocompatibility Complex/immunology
- Peptides/chemistry
- Peptides/immunology
- Protein Binding
- Protein Conformation
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus G Rudolph
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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17
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Ciatto C, Tissot AC, Tschopp M, Capitani G, Pecorari F, Plückthun A, Grütter MG. Zooming in on the hydrophobic ridge of H-2D(b): implications for the conformational variability of bound peptides. J Mol Biol 2001; 312:1059-71. [PMID: 11580250 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2001.5016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, which display intracellularly processed peptides on the cell surface for scanning by T-cell receptors (TCRs), are extraordinarily polymorphic. MHC polymorphism is believed to result from natural selection, since individuals heterozygous at the corresponding loci can cope with a larger number of pathogens. Here, we present the crystal structures of the murine MHC molecule H-2D(b) in complex with the peptides gp276 and np396 from the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), solved at 2.18 A and 2.20 A resolution, respectively. The most prominent feature of H-2D(b) is a hydrophobic ridge that cuts across its antigen-binding site, which is conserved in the L(d)-like family of class I MHC molecules. The comparison with previously solved crystal structures of peptide/H-2D(b) complexes shows that the hydrophobic ridge focuses the conformational variability of the bound peptides in a "hot-spot", which could allow optimal TCR interaction and discrimination. This finding suggests a functional reason for the conservation of this structural element.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Antigens, Viral/chemistry
- Antigens, Viral/immunology
- Binding Sites
- Crystallography, X-Ray
- Epitopes/chemistry
- Epitopes/immunology
- Evolution, Molecular
- H-2 Antigens/chemistry
- H-2 Antigens/immunology
- Histocompatibility Antigen H-2D
- Hydrogen Bonding
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus/chemistry
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus/immunology
- Mice
- Models, Molecular
- Peptides/chemistry
- Peptides/immunology
- Protein Structure, Secondary
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ciatto
- Biochemisches Insitut, der Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, CH-8057, Switzerland
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18
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Messaoudi I, LeMaoult J, Metzner BM, Miley MJ, Fremont DH, Nikolich-Zugich J. Functional evidence that conserved TCR CDR alpha 3 loop docking governs the cross-recognition of closely related peptide:class I complexes. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2001; 167:836-43. [PMID: 11441090 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.167.2.836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The TCR recognizes its peptide:MHC (pMHC) ligand by assuming a diagonal orientation relative to the MHC helices, but it is unclear whether and to what degree individual TCRs exhibit docking variations when contacting similar pMHC complexes. We analyzed monospecific and cross-reactive recognition by diverse TCRs of an immunodominant HVH-1 glycoprotein B epitope (HSV-8p) bound to two closely related MHC class I molecules, H-2K(b) and H-2K(bm8). Previous studies indicated that the pMHC portion likely to vary in conformation between the two complexes resided at the N-terminal part of the complex, adjacent to peptide residues 2-4 and the neighboring MHC side chains. We found that CTL clones sharing TCR beta-chains exhibited disparate recognition patterns, whereas those with drastically different TCRbeta-chains but sharing identical TCRalpha CDR3 loops displayed identical functional specificity. This suggested that the CDRalpha3 loop determines the TCR specificity in our model, the conclusion supported by modeling of the TCR over the actual HSV-8:K(b) crystal structure. Importantly, these results indicate a remarkable conservation in CDRalpha3 positioning, and, therefore, in docking of diverse TCRalphabeta heterodimers onto variant peptide:class I complexes, implying a high degree of determinism in thymic selection and T cell activation.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Cell Line
- Clone Cells
- Conserved Sequence/genetics
- Conserved Sequence/immunology
- Crystallization
- Crystallography, X-Ray
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/metabolism
- H-2 Antigens/genetics
- H-2 Antigens/metabolism
- Herpesvirus 1, Human/immunology
- Immunodominant Epitopes/genetics
- Immunodominant Epitopes/metabolism
- Lymphocyte Activation/genetics
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Peptide Fragments/genetics
- Peptide Fragments/immunology
- Peptide Fragments/metabolism
- Protein Structure, Secondary/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/metabolism
- Viral Envelope Proteins/immunology
- Viral Envelope Proteins/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- I Messaoudi
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
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19
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Hudrisier D, Riond J, Burlet-Schiltz O, von Herrath MG, Lewicki H, Monsarrat B, Oldstone MB, Gairin JE. Structural and functional identification of major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted self-peptides as naturally occurring molecular mimics of viral antigens. Possible role in CD8+ T cell-mediated, virus-induced autoimmune disease. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:19396-403. [PMID: 11278441 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m008864200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural similarity (molecular mimicry) between viral epitopes and self-peptides can lead to the induction of autoaggressive CD4(+) as well as CD8(+) T cell responses. Based on the flexibility of T cell receptor/antigen/major histocompatibility complex recognition, it has been proposed that a self-peptide could replace a viral epitope for T cell recognition and therefore participate in pathophysiological processes in which T cells are involved. To address this issue, we used, as a molecular model of viral antigen, the H-2D(b)-restricted immunodominant epitope nucleoprotein (NP)-(396-404) (FQPQNGQFI) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). We identified peptide sequences from murine self-proteins that share structural and functional homology with LCMV NP-(396-404) and that bound to H-2D(b) with high affinity. One of these self-peptides, derived from tumor necrosis factor receptor I (FGPSNWHFM, amino acids 302-310), maintained LCMV-specific CD8(+) T cells in an active state as observed both in vitro in cytotoxic assays and in vivo in a model of virus-induced autoimmune diabetes, the rat insulin promoter-LCMV NP transgenic mouse. The natural occurrence and molecular concentration at the surface of H-2(b) spleen cells of tumor necrosis factor receptor I-(302-310) were determined by on-line micro-high pressure liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and supported its biological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Hudrisier
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, CNRS, 205 route de Narbonne, 31400 Toulouse, France
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20
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Abstract
The molecular interactions between the T-cell receptor (TCR) and peptide-MHC (pMHC) have been elucidated in recent years. Nevertheless, the fact that binding of only slightly different ligands by a TCR, or ligation of the same pMHC at different developmental stages of the T cell, can have opposing consequences, continues to pose intellectual challenges. Kinetic proofreading models, which have at their core the dissociation rates of pMHC from the TCR, are best suited to account for these observations. However, T cells can be triggered by peptides with often minimal homology to the primary immunogenic peptide. This cross-reactivity of the TCR is manifest at several levels, from positive selection of immature thymocytes to homeostasis and antigen-cross- reactive immune responses of mature peripheral T cells. The implications of the high cross-reactivity of T-cell antigen recognition for self-tolerance and T-cell memory are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Regner
- Division of Immunology and Cell Biology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra.
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21
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Baker BM, Turner RV, Gagnon SJ, Wiley DC, Biddison WE. Identification of a crucial energetic footprint on the alpha1 helix of human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 that provides functional interactions for recognition by tax peptide/HLA-A2-specific T cell receptors. J Exp Med 2001; 193:551-62. [PMID: 11238586 PMCID: PMC2193388 DOI: 10.1084/jem.193.5.551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural studies have shown that class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted peptide-specific T cell receptor (TCR)-alpha/betas make multiple contacts with the alpha1 and alpha2 helices of the MHC, but it is unclear which or how many of these interactions contribute to functional binding. We have addressed this question by performing single amino acid mutagenesis of the 15 TCR contact sites on the human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 molecule recognized by the A6 TCR specific for the Tax peptide presented by HLA-A2. The results demonstrate that mutagenesis of only three amino acids (R65, K66, and A69) that are clustered on the alpha1 helix affected T cell recognition of the Tax/HLA-A2 complex. At least one of these three mutants affected T cell recognition by every member of a large panel of Tax/HLA-A2-specific T cell lines. Biacore measurements showed that these three HLA-A2 mutations also altered A6 TCR binding kinetics, reducing binding affinity. These results show that for Tax/HLA-A2-specific TCRs, there is a location on the central portion of the alpha1 helix that provides interactions crucial to their function with the MHC molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. Baker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Richard V. Turner
- Molecular Immunology Section, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Susan J. Gagnon
- Molecular Immunology Section, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Don C. Wiley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - William E. Biddison
- Molecular Immunology Section, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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22
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Kim S, Braunstein NS, Leonard EF, Thomas JL. Controlling duration of contact between T cells and antigen-presenting cells. J Immunol Methods 2001; 249:73-84. [PMID: 11226465 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-1759(00)00332-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
A new method which allows precise control of the duration of contact between T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) has been developed. A glass coverslip coated with poly-L-lysine, and then with T cells, was placed at the base of a cylindrical well, and the well was filled with liquid medium. A round coverslip, on which APCs were adhered, was supported on the surface of the medium by surface tension, cell-side down. By withdrawing medium from four capillary holes near the base of the well, the coverslip could be lowered to initiate contact between T cells and APCs at a defined time zero. The contact was broken at desired time points by re-introducing medium into the well in order to separate the two coverslips. Each cell type remained adherent to its original surface after separation for all contact times studied. The T cells were monitored for intracellular calcium mobilization using the fluorescent dye, Fura-2. Contact durations of less than 1 min did not trigger calcium signals. Contact durations of 3 and 5 min induced strong calcium signals. Breaking the contact caused a rapid decrease in intracellular calcium levels. This method of cell manipulation allows precise control of the duration of contact of T cells with APCs, while keeping the cells under continuous observation. The measurements so obtained provide a quantitative understanding of the dynamics of early T cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Columbia University, 500 W. 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA
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23
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24
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Slansky JE, Rattis FM, Boyd LF, Fahmy T, Jaffee EM, Schneck JP, Margulies DH, Pardoll DM. Enhanced antigen-specific antitumor immunity with altered peptide ligands that stabilize the MHC-peptide-TCR complex. Immunity 2000; 13:529-38. [PMID: 11070171 DOI: 10.1016/s1074-7613(00)00052-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
T cell responsiveness to an epitope is affected both by its affinity for the presenting MHC molecule and the affinity of the MHC-peptide complex for TCR. One limitation of cancer immunotherapy is that natural tumor antigens elicit relatively weak T cell responses, in part because high-affinity T cells are rendered tolerant to these antigens. We report here that amino acid substitutions in a natural MHC class I-restricted tumor antigen that increase the stability of the MHC-peptide-TCR complex are significantly more potent as tumor vaccines. The improved immunity results from enhanced in vivo expansion of T cells specific for the natural tumor epitope. These results indicate peptides that stabilize the MHC-peptide-TCR complex may provide superior antitumor immunity through enhanced stimulation of specific T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Slansky
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA
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25
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Lee PU, Churchill HR, Daniels M, Jameson SC, Kranz DM. Role of 2CT cell receptor residues in the binding of self- and allo-major histocompatibility complexes. J Exp Med 2000; 191:1355-64. [PMID: 10770802 PMCID: PMC2193126 DOI: 10.1084/jem.191.8.1355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/1999] [Accepted: 02/10/2000] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell clone 2C recognizes the alloantigen L(d) and the positive selecting major histocompatibility complex (MHC), K(b). To explore the molecular basis of T cell antigen receptor (TCR) binding to different peptide/MHC (pMHC) complexes, we performed alanine scanning mutagenesis of the 2C TCR. The TCR energy maps for QL9/L(d) and SIYR/K(b) were remarkably similar, in that 16 of 41 Valpha and Vbeta alanine mutants showed reduced binding to both ligands. Several TCR residues varied in the magnitude of energy contributed to binding the two ligands, indicating that there are also unique interactions. Residues in complementarity determining region 3alpha showed the most notable differences in binding energetics among the ligands QL9/L(d), SIYR/K(b), and the clonotypic antibody 1B2. Various lines of evidence suggest that these differences relate to the mobility of this loop and point to the key role of conformational dynamics in pMHC recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter U.Y. Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | | | - Mark Daniels
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and the Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Stephen C. Jameson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and the Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - David M. Kranz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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26
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Churchill HR, Andersen PS, Parke EA, Mariuzza RA, Kranz DM. Mapping the energy of superantigen Staphylococcus enterotoxin C3 recognition of an alpha/beta T cell receptor using alanine scanning mutagenesis. J Exp Med 2000; 191:835-46. [PMID: 10704464 PMCID: PMC2195847 DOI: 10.1084/jem.191.5.835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/1999] [Accepted: 01/27/2000] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Binding of the T cell receptor (TCR) to a bacterial superantigen (SAG) results in stimulation of a large population of T cells and subsequent inflammatory reactions. To define the functional contribution of TCR residues to SAG recognition, binding by 24 single-site alanine substitutions in the TCR Vbeta domain to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin (SE) C3 was measured, producing an energy map of the TCR-SAG interaction. The results showed that complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2) of the Vbeta contributed the majority of binding energy, whereas hypervariable region 4 (HV4) and framework region 3 (FR3) contributed a minimal amount of energy. The crystal structure of the Vbeta8.2-SEC3 complex suggests that the CDR2 mutations act by disrupting Vbeta main chain interactions with SEC3, perhaps by affecting the conformation of CDR2. The finding that single Vbeta side chain substitutions had significant effects on binding and that other SEC3-reactive Vbeta are diverse at these same positions indicates that SEC3 binds to other TCRs through compensatory mechanisms. Thus, there appears to be strong selective pressure on SAGs to maintain binding to diverse T cells.
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MESH Headings
- Alanine/genetics
- Animals
- Binding Sites
- Enterotoxins/immunology
- Enterotoxins/metabolism
- Humans
- Mice
- Models, Molecular
- Mutagenesis
- Protein Binding
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Staphylococcus aureus/immunology
- Superantigens/immunology
- Superantigens/metabolism
- Thermodynamics
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter S. Andersen
- Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - Evan A. Parke
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Roy A. Mariuzza
- Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850
| | - David M. Kranz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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27
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Gregersen PK. Genetics of rheumatoid arthritis: confronting complexity. ARTHRITIS RESEARCH 1999; 1:37-44. [PMID: 11094412 PMCID: PMC128868 DOI: 10.1186/ar9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/1999] [Accepted: 10/14/1999] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The genetic basis for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is likely to be extremely complex. Even the role of MHC genes remains to be fully defined, and may involve interactive genetic effects. The difficulty of precisely defining the clinical phenotype, as well as underlying genetic heterogeneity, complicates the problem. In addition, stochastic genetic or physiologic events may contribute to the low penetrance of susceptibility genes. This situation parallels developing paradigms for other autoimmune disorders, in which many different genes each appear to contribute a small amount to overall risk for disease, and where severity and specific phenotypic subtypes are subject to genetic effects. The completion of the human genome project, along with advances in informatics, will be required to reach a deeper understanding of RA. It is likely that this will involve an iterative and interactive process between several different scientific disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- P K Gregersen
- Division of Biology and Human Genetics, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York 11030, USA.
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