T cell receptor junctional regions and the MHC molecule affect the recognition of antigenic peptides by T cell clones.
Nine independent pigeon cytochrome c-specific T cell clones were analyzed by using a panel of antigenic peptide analogs presented in association with three allelic IE-encoded MHC glycoproteins. Eight of the T cell clones expressed a TCR composed of a unique alpha- and beta-chain amino acid sequence, and concordantly, each of these T cell clones exhibited a unique Ag specificity. This was true for several clones which differed only in TCR V-J junctional regions. Interestingly, for a given clone, the response to some of the peptide analogs depended to a large extent on the allelic form of the presenting MHC molecule. A simple interpretation of these data would suggest that certain positions of the peptide Ag are most important for Ag-MHC molecule interactions, and that these specific interactions can influence the antigenic epitope recognized by the TCR. We suggest that an antigenic peptide binds to an MHC glycoprotein in a distinct way, but may retain a measure of flexibility.
Sorger
S B
SB
Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093.
Paterson
Y
Y
Fink
P J
PJ
Hedrick
S M
SM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002999:Clone Cells; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D000939:Epitopes; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; C024138:I-E-antigen; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell