title: Immunomodulatory Effects of Hypocrellin A on MHC-restricted Antigen Processing.
abstract: Hypocrellin A has gained much attention in recent years due to its light-induced antitumor, antifungal and antiviral activities. Here we report that hypocrellin A exerts immunomodulatory effects on MHC-restricted presentation of antigen. Hypocrellin A inhibited class II-MHC restricted presentation of exogenous antigen, but not class I MHC-restricted presentation of exogenous antigen, in dendritic cells. Hypocrellin A also inhibited the cytosolic pathway of endogenous antigen presentation. However, hypocrellin A did not inhibit the expression of class I and class II MHC molecules on dendritic cells (DCs), the phagocytic activity of DCs, or the H-2K(b)-restricted presentation of a synthetic peptide, SIINFEKL. These results show that hypocrellin A differentially modulates the MHC-restricted antigen presentation pathways.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea.
authors.forename: Sunim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sun-A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Ki-Hyang
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chong-Kil
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lee