MAITs, MR1 and vitamin B metabolites

Richard W Birkinshaw; Lars Kjer-Nielsen; Sidonia B G Eckle; James McCluskey; Jamie Rossjohn

doi:10.1016/j.coi.2013.09.007

MAITs, MR1 and vitamin B metabolites

Curr Opin Immunol. 2014 Feb:26:7-13. doi: 10.1016/j.coi.2013.09.007. Epub 2013 Oct 18.

Authors

Richard W Birkinshaw¹, Lars Kjer-Nielsen², Sidonia B G Eckle², James McCluskey³, Jamie Rossjohn⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
² Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
³ Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 24556396
DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2013.09.007

Abstract

αβT-cell mediated immunity is traditionally characterised by recognition of peptides or lipids presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or the CD1 family respectively. Recently the antigenic repertoire of αβT-cells has been expanded with the observation that mucosal-associated invariant T-cells (MAIT cells), an abundant population of innate-like T-cells, can recognise metabolites of vitamin B, when presented by the MHC-related protein, MR1. The semi-invariant MAIT T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) recognises riboflavin and folic acid metabolites bound by MR1 in a conserved docking mode, and thus acts like a pattern recognition receptor. Here we review and discuss the recent observations concerning antigen presentation by MR1, the advent of MR1-Ag tetramers that specifically stain MAIT cells, recognition by the MAIT TCR, and our emerging understanding of MAIT cells in disease.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Antigen Presentation / genetics
Antigen Presentation / immunology*
Conserved Sequence / genetics
Conserved Sequence / immunology
Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / immunology
Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / immunology
Genes, MHC Class I / immunology*
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / genetics
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / immunology*
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / metabolism
Humans
Immunity, Mucosal / genetics
Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
Receptors, Pattern Recognition / genetics
Receptors, Pattern Recognition / immunology
Receptors, Pattern Recognition / metabolism
T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism*
T-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology
Vitamin B Complex / genetics
Vitamin B Complex / immunology
Vitamin B Complex / metabolism*

Substances

Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
MR1 protein, human
Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
Receptors, Pattern Recognition
Vitamin B Complex