Generation of peptide MHC class I monomers and multimers through ligand exchange

Curr Protoc Immunol. 2009 Nov:Chapter 18:18.16.1-18.16.20. doi: 10.1002/0471142735.im1816s87.

Abstract

The recognition of defined antigen-MHC complexes by antigen-specific T cells forms the molecular basis of T cell immunity. It has been shown that fluorescently labeled recombinant MHC tetramers can be utilized to detect antigen-specific T cells by flow cytometry. Since this first description, MHC tetramers and other types of MHC multimers have become a core tool to monitor the development of disease- and therapy-induced antigen-specific T cell responses both in humans and in animal model systems. This unit describes a set of protocols that transform classical MHC multimer technology into a high-throughput platform, allowing one to produce large collections of MHC class I molecules charged with different peptides. This technology is based on the development of conditional MHC ligands that can be triggered to self-destruct while in the MHC-bound state.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biotinylation / methods
  • Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases / biosynthesis
  • Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases / isolation & purification
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / biosynthesis
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / chemistry*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Indicators and Reagents / chemistry
  • Ligands
  • Mice
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Peptides / immunology*
  • Peptides / radiation effects
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Renaturation
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Repressor Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Repressor Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • beta 2-Microglobulin / biosynthesis
  • beta 2-Microglobulin / chemistry
  • beta 2-Microglobulin / immunology

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Ligands
  • Peptides
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • beta 2-Microglobulin
  • Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases
  • birA protein, E coli