title: Identical peptides recognized by MHC class I- and II-restricted T cells.
abstract: Previous data from many groups show that both class I and class II-restricted T cells recognize short synthetic peptides in the context of their respective MHC molecules (9-18), all of the peptides described to date are restricted to only a single class of MHC molecules; however, structural homology between the class I and II MHC molecules and the use of similar TCRs by class I and II-restricted T cells suggest that antigen recognition mechanisms are similar in both systems. To directly compare antigen recognition in the two systems, we analyzed peptides for the ability to function in both a class I and II-restricted system and found that seven of seven individual peptides tested stimulate both class I and II-restricted T cell responses. In addition, two of the peptides can function in different species stimulating both human class I and murine class II T cell responses. Thus, the process of T cell recognition of antigen in the context of MHC molecules was highly conserved in evolution not only between the class I and class II MHC systems, but also between the murine and human species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gefter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D010455:Peptides