title: Amino acids specifying MHC class preference in TCR V alpha 2 regions.
abstract: Some TCR variable regions are preferentially expressed in CD4+ or CD8+ T cells, reflecting a predilection for interacting with MHC class II or class I molecules. The molecular basis for MHC class bias has been studied previously, in particular for V alpha 3 family members, pointing to a dominant role for two amino acid positions in complementary-determining regions (CDRs) 1 and 2. We have evaluated the generality of these findings by examining the MHC class bias of V alpha 2 family members, an attractive system because it shows more variability within the CDR1 and -2, exhibits variation in the framework regions, and includes a member for which the crystal structure has been determined. We find that preferential recognition of MHC class I or II molecules does not always depend on residues at the same positions of CDR1 and -2; rules for one family may be reversed in another. Instead, there are multiple influences exerted by various CDR1/2 positions as well as the CDR3s of both the TCR alpha- and TCR beta-chains.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Correia-Neves
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Waltzinger
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wurtz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benoist
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mathis
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015332:Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000378:metabolism*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008958:Models, Molecular; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000276:immunology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004527:Egg Proteins; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; C110366:OVA-8; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D010047:Ovalbumin