The Nonpolymorphic MHC Qa-1b Mediates CD8+ T Cell Surveillance of Antigen-processing Defects

Overview

Journal J Exp Med

Specialties Allergy & Immunology
General Medicine

Date 2009 Dec 30

PMID 20038604

Citations 51

Authors

Claudia C Oliveira

Peter A Van Veelen

Bianca Querido

Arnoud de Ru

Marjolein Sluijter

Sandra Laban

Jan W Drijfhout

Sjoerd H van der Burg

Rienk Offringa

Thorbald van Hall

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) Qa-1b accommodates monomorphic leader peptides and functions as a ligand for germ line receptors CD94/NKG2, which are expressed by natural killer cells and CD8+ T cells. We here describe that the conserved peptides are replaced by a novel peptide repertoire of surprising diversity as a result of impairments in the antigen-processing pathway. This novel peptide repertoire represents immunogenic neoantigens for CD8+ T cells, as we found that these Qa-1b-restricted T cells dominantly participated in the response to tumors with processing deficiencies. A surprisingly wide spectrum of target cells, irrespective of transformation status, MHC background, or type of processing deficiency, was recognized by this T cell subset, complying with the conserved nature of Qa-1b. Target cell recognition depended on T cell receptor and Qa-1b interaction, and immunization with identified peptide epitopes demonstrated in vivo priming of CD8+ T cells. Our data reveal that Qa-1b, and most likely its human homologue human leukocyte antigen-E, is important for the defense against processing-deficient cells by displacing the monomorphic leader peptides, which relieves the inhibition through CD94/NKG2A on lymphocytes, and by presenting a novel repertoire of immunogenic peptides, which recruits a subset of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.

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