Specificities of human TAP alleles for HLA-B27 binding peptides.
OBJECTIVE
Allelic TAP polymorphism has been linked to susceptibility to Reiter's syndrome and was suggested to influence disease phenotype in HLA-B27 positive patients with ankylosing spondylitis. In the present study, we examined whether the human TAP alleles functionally differ in their translocation specificity for HLA-B27-binding nonamers.


METHODS
TAP translocation of a panel of HLA-B27-binding peptides was measured with a labeled reporter peptide containing an N-linked glycosylation acceptor site in streptolysin O-permeabilized cells with different TAP alleles.


RESULTS
The different human TAP alleles tested did not measurably differ in their peptide specificity.


CONCLUSIONS
The polymorphism of human TAP does not affect the translocated repertoire of HLA-B27 ligands and is therefore unlikely to play a decisive role in the development of HLA-B27-associated disease.
Rheumatology Division, Hannover Medical School, Germany.
J G
JG
Kuipers
R B
RB
Raybourne
K M
KM
Williams
H
H
Zeidler
D T
DT
Yu
D000071181:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2; D000071450:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 3; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D002460:Cell Line; D000939:Epitopes; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000235:genetics
D000071181:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2; D000071450:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 3; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000939:Epitopes; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; C073119:TAP1 protein, human; C071692:TAP2 protein, human