Determination of the HLA-DM interaction site on HLA-DR molecules

HLA-DM removes CLIP and other loosely bound peptides from MHC class II molecules. The crystal structures of class II molecules and of HLA-DM have not permitted identification of their interaction sites. Here, we describe mutations in class II that impair interactions with DM. Libraries of randomly mutagenized DR3 alpha and beta chains were screened for their ability to cause cell surface accumulation of CLIP/DR3 complexes in EBV-B cells. Seven mutations were associated with impaired peptide loading in vivo, as detected by SDS stability assays. In vitro, these mutant DR3 molecules were resistant to DM-catalyzed CLIP release and showed reduced binding to DM. All mutations localize to a single lateral face of HLA-DR, which we propose interacts with DM during peptide exchange.