The Meaning Of Self: HLA System And Antigen Presentation Flashcards
Studies of what led to the discovery of the MHC?
transplant rejection
How are MHC antigens (HLA) presented on the cell surface?
As glycoproteins
What is the name of the human MHC and why?
HLA (Human leukocyte antigen) because it was discovered by studying the antigens concentrated in blood
What is the main function of HLA1 and HLA2 antigens?
They bind exogenous and endogenous peptides derived from self and non-self proteins to allert the immune system about infection and pathogen presence
What are the two monomers that make up the HLA-I heterodimer?
a1,a2,a3 heavy chain and one B2microglobulin light chain
Which domains form the peptide-binding cleft for the HLA-1?
a1 and a2
What are the domains of the class 2 glycoproteins?
a1,a2 chain and b1,b2 chain
What domains form the protein binding cleft of HLA-2?
a1 and b1
What are the paired, membrane-proximal domains of HLA-1 and HLA-2 homologous to?
How are the distal domains arranged?
Proximal domains are like Ig domains
Distal domains are folded into sheets criss-crossed by two helices
Where do antigens bind to the HLA structure?
between the 2 distal helices in the variable region
What determines the shape of the antigen binding site of the HLA molecule?
the amino acid sequence of the HLA component
How are the antigen binding grooves different for HLA1 and HLA2?
HLA-II groove is open at both ends so it can accommodate a longer protein (12-30AA residues)
HLA-1 groove has constricted ends so it can only bind residues from 8-10AA in length
Unlike many hormone receptors, HLA can bind ________________ different peptides as long as they are __________________________.
many; structurally related
Do the residues that anchor peptides into the MHC domain need to be identical?
No, but they need to have enough structural similarity to “fit” the MHC pockets.
Why are the anchor positions not easily identified for class 2 HLA molecules?
The length of peptides can be variable due to the openness of the HLA2 groove.
Is the number of anchors constant from MHC to MHC?
No, the number of anchors is variable because the number of HLA pockets differ between different HLAs, so the number of peptide anchors must vary
What part of the HLA binds to the antigenic protein?
the HLA pocket binds the antigenic sequence motif “anchor”
What factors are different from HLA pocket to HLA pocket?
size, charge and shape
How many different peptides can each HLA allele bind?
1000-10,000 different peptides that are STRUCTURALLY RELATED
If a cell is infected, what will be in the majority of HLA molecules?
Self peptides still, but one or a few will show the non-self (like recognizing a pimple on a generally flawless face, the non-self will stick out despite the majority being self)
Where are HLA-1 molecules located? Why?
On pretty much all nucleated cells (everywhere except RBCs) because HLA1 remove edogenous pathogens (like viruses)
Why are there no HLA1 molecules on RBCs?
Because RBCs can’t support viral replication anyway so there is no need
Where are HLAII class molecules located?
On macrophages, dendritic cells, B-cells and thymic epithelial cells because they respond to exogenous pathogens and these are the antigen presenting cells
Why are HLAI and HLAII molecules expressed on thymic epithelial cells?
to educate T-cells in thymus to recognize self molecules
On what three cells are HLAII molecules inducible?
endothelial cells
keratinocytes
T cells
What will upregulate MHCI and MHCII?
inflammatory signals like IFNgamma and other cytokines that signal viral infection