title: Major histocompatibility class II peptide occupancy, antigen presentation, and CD4+ T cell function in mice lacking the p41 isoform of invariant chain.
abstract: We used a "hit and run" gene targeting strategy to generate mice expressing only the p31 isoform of the conserved invariant (Ii) chain associated with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. Spleen cells from these mice appear indistinguishable from wild type with respect to class II subunit assembly, transport, peptide acquisition, surface expression, and the ability to present intact protein antigens. Moreover, these mutant mice have normal numbers of thymic and peripheral CD4+ T cells, and intact CD4+ T-dependent proliferative responses towards a soluble antigen. In short, MHC class II expression and function are surprisingly unaffected in mice lacking p41 invariant chain, implying that the p31 and p41 isoforms may be functionally redundant in the intact animal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Takaesu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lower
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Bikoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D005091:Exons; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; C045084:invariant chain