Sequence analysis of MHC class II Eb cDNAs from H2r and H2p haplotypes

Inhibition of an In Vitro CD4+ T Cell Alloresponse Using Altered Peptide Ligands

In this study, we explore the potential of altered peptide ligands (APLs) to modulate the alloresponse of CD4+ T cells using elements of the murine hemoglobin (Hb) Ag model. We first demonstrated that the T cell 2.102, specific for the Hb(64-76)/I-Ek complex, was alloreactive against splenocytes of the H-2p haplotype. Using Ab-blocking and transfection experiments, we further showed that this alloreactivity was restricted to the class II molecule I-Ep. We tested a panel of APLs previously shown to antagonize the Hb response of 2.102 and found that these peptides could also effectively inhibit the alloresponse to I-Ep. Importantly, these peptides were able to antagonize the alloresponse of naive T cells derived from mice transgenic for the 2.102 TCR, as well as Th1 and Th2 cell lines. The antagonism required the presence of both I-Ep and I-Ek on the same APC. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of APLs to antagonize the primary alloresponse of specific T cells and provides a basis for the development of immunotherapeutics for use in transplantation and immune-mediated diseases.

Specificity and function of immunoglobulin superfamily NK cell inhibitory and stimulatory receptors

Human NK cells express clonally distributed receptors specific for HLA-A, -B and -C molecules. These receptors belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily and can be functionally distinguished as inhibitory or stimulatory. Inhibitory receptors block NK-cell-mediated cytotoxicity upon binding to HLA class I ligands. This function is mediated by phosphorylation of cytoplasmic tyrosines, which recruit the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. Stimulatory receptors also bind HLA class I, lack cytoplasmic tyrosine-based motifs, and trigger NK cytotoxicity and proliferation. Both types of receptor are characterized by a limited diversity allowing for recognition of distinct class I supertypic epitopes. This limited diversity is counterbalanced by the expression of different combinations of inhibitory and stimulatory receptors with self and/or non-self HLA class I specificities on distinct NK cell clones. This peculiar strategy allows NK cells to detect loss of MHC class I molecules on autologous transformed and virally infected cells with maximal sensitivity.