1t0m
From Proteopedia
Conformational switch in polymorphic H-2K molecules containing an HSV peptide
Overview
Polymorphism within the MHC not only affects peptide specificity but also has a critical influence on the T cell repertoire; for example, the CD8 T cell response toward an immunodominant HSV glycoprotein B peptide is more diverse and of higher avidity in H-2(bm8) compared with H-2(b) mice. We have examined the basis for the selection of these distinct antiviral T cell repertoires by comparing the high-resolution structures of K(b) and K(bm8), in complex with cognate peptide Ag. Although K(b) and K(bm8) differ by four residues within the Ag-binding cleft, the most striking difference in the two structures was the disparate conformation adopted by the shared residue, Arg(62). The altered dynamics of Arg(62), coupled with a small rigid-body movement in the alpha(1) helix encompassing this residue, correlated with biased Valpha usage in the B6 mice. Moreover, an analysis of all known TCR/MHC complexes reveals that Arg(62) invariably interacts with the TCR CDR1alpha loop. Accordingly, Arg(62) appears to function as a conformational switch that may govern T cell selection and protective immunity.
About this Structure
1T0M is a Protein complex structure of sequences from Mus musculus. Full crystallographic information is available from OCA.
Reference
The structure of H-2K(b) and K(bm8) complexed to a herpes simplex virus determinant: evidence for a conformational switch that governs T cell repertoire selection and viral resistance., Webb AI, Borg NA, Dunstone MA, Kjer-Nielsen L, Beddoe T, McCluskey J, Carbone FR, Bottomley SP, Aguilar MI, Purcell AW, Rossjohn J, J Immunol. 2004 Jul 1;173(1):402-9. PMID:15210799 Page seeded by OCA on Sat May 3 09:21:26 2008
