title: A region of conformational variability outside the peptide-binding site of a class I MHC molecule.
abstract: Peptide binding is known to influence the conformation of the surface of class I molecules as detected with mAbs and TCR. A new conformationally sensitive epitope on the mouse class I molecule Kb is defined by mAb AF6-88.5. The recognized structure is affected by amino acid substitutions in any of the three external domains of the class I heavy chain and, in addition, is influenced by the substitution of human for mouse beta2-microglobulin. Interestingly, the epitope for this Ab is not affected by mutations within the peptide-binding cleft or by the nature of the peptide bound. These findings indicate that the effect of a change in one domain of class I can radiate to other parts of the molecule. Furthermore, the existence of conformationally sensitive structures outside of the peptide-binding site suggests the possibility that class I molecules may change their structure in response to binding by receptors and ligands such as the TCR and the coligand CD8. Such structural changes may represent signals that can influence cellular activation events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic/Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kuhns
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Pease
mesh_terms: D000071181:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001665:Binding Sites; D002678:Chimera / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000071181:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D006183:H-2 Antigens; C032876:H-2Kb protein, mouse; D010455:Peptides; C073119:TAP1 protein, human; C486171:Tap1 protein, mouse; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin