Phage display of peptide / major histocompatibility class I complexes

Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules sample peptides from the intracellular environment and present them to cytotoxic T cells (CTL). To establish a selection system, and, thereby, enable a library approach to identify the specificities involved (that of the MHC-I for peptides and subsequently that ot the T cell receptor for peptide-MHC-I complex), we have fused a single chain peptide-MHC-I complex to the phage minor coat protein, gpIII, and displayed it on filamentous phage. Expression of peptide-MHC-I complexes was shown with relevant conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies and, more importantly, with a unique "T cell receptor-like" (i. e. peptide-specific, MHC-I-restricted) antibody. Thus, properly assembled and folded peptide-MHC-I complexes can be displayed on filamentous phage. Despite the successful display, interaction with T cells could not be demonstrated.