Immunodominant minor histocompatibility antigen peptides presented by H2Db molecules.
BACKGROUND
C57BL/6 (B6) mice generate cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to a limited number of immunodominant cytotoxic T cell target (CTT) antigens and associated peptides when primed with H2-matched BALB.B spleen cells, despite multiple minor histocompatibility antigen (HA) differences. We previously showed that these CTLs recognize four Kb-bound minor HA peptides derived from CTT antigens. Here, we describe the identification of Db-bound minor HA peptides recognized by B6 anti-BALB.B CTLs.


METHODS
Peptides were extracted from Db molecules immunoprecipitated from lysates of T lymphoblasts from BALB.B mice and mice from the CXB recombinant inbred strains that express H2b and segregate minor HA from BALB/c and B6. Peptides were separated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and tested for sensitization of targets for lysis by CTLs specific for BALB.B and the CXB strains.


RESULTS
B6 anti-BALB.B CTLs recognized a single Db-bound peptide whose distribution in CXB strains matched that of the previously reported CTT-1 minor HA. An additional Db-bound peptide (CTT-7) was recognized by B6 anti-CXBG CTLs. CTT-1 was expressed by independently derived inbred mouse strains that express H2b. CTT-1 was recognized by B6 CTLs specific for these inbred strains, except for the LP and 129 strains that stimulated CTL specific for the CTT-8 peptide expressed by these two strains.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that B6 CTLs primed and boosted with multiple minor HA recognize a maximum of two minor HA peptides regardless of the strain of origin of H2b-matched stimulating lymphoid cells.
Nevala
W K
WK
Department of Surgery, The Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Wettstein
P J
PJ
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000502:physiology*; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D006183:H-2 Antigens; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens