title: Zwitterionic capsular polysaccharides: the new MHCII-dependent antigens.
abstract: The immune system has evolved the ability for T cells to recognize nearly any biological polymer, including peptides, protein superantigens, and glycolipids through presentation by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins such as MHC class I (MHCI), MHC class II (MHCII), and CD1. A recent and unexpected addition to this list is the zwitterionic capsular polysaccharide (ZPS). These bacterial molecules utilize MHCII presentation to activate T cells via recognition by alphabeta T cell receptor (alphabetaTCR) proteins. In this review, we explore what is currently known about ZPS processing and presentation within antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and the immune response that follows.
authors.affiliation: Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kasper
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000276:immunology; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D018805:Sepsis / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial