title: Peptide selection by MHC class I molecules.
abstract: Synthetic peptides have been used to sensitize target cells and thereby screen for epitopes recognized by T cells. Most epitopes of cytotoxic T lymphocytes can be mimicked by synthetic peptides of 12-15 amino acids. Although in specific cases, truncations of peptides improves sensitization of target cells, no optimum length for binding to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules has been defined. We have now analysed synthetic peptide captured by empty MHC class I molecules of the mutant cell line RMA-S. We found that class I molecules preferentially bound short peptides (nine amino acids) and selectively bound these peptides even when they were a minor component in a mixture of longer peptides. These results may help to explain the difference in size restriction of T-cell epitopes between experiments with synthetic peptides and those with naturally processed peptides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biochemistry, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: De Bruijn
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Vernie
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Kast
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Melief
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Neefjes
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ploegh
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D011485:Protein Binding; D011925:Rauscher Virus / Q000235:genetics; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D009842:Oligopeptides