The Optimization of Bioorthogonal Epitope Ligation within MHC-I Complexes

ACS Chem Biol. 2016 Nov 18;11(11):3172-3178. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00498. Epub 2016 Oct 10.

Abstract

Antigen recognition followed by the activation of cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) is a key step in adaptive immunity, resulting in clearance of viruses and cancers. The repertoire of peptides that have the ability to bind to the major histocompatibility type-I (MHC-I) is enormous, but the approaches available for studying the diversity of the peptide repertoire on a cell are limited. Here, we explore the use of bioorthogonal chemistry to quantify specific peptide-MHC-I complexes (pMHC-I) on cells. We show that modifying epitope peptides with bioorthogonal groups in surface accessible positions allows wild-type-like MHC-I binding and bioorthogonal ligation using fluorogenic chromophores in combination with a Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen cycloaddition reaction. We expect that this approach will make a powerful addition to the antigen presentation toolkit as for the first time it allows quantification of antigenic peptides for which no detection tools exist.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Epitopes / chemistry*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology

Substances

  • Epitopes
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I