Components of the ligand for a Ni++ reactive human T cell clone

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction element for a human Ni(2+) reactive T cell, ANi-2.3, was identified as DR52c. A series of experiments established that the functional ligand for this T cell was a preformed complex of Ni(2+) bound to the combination of DR52c and a specific peptide that was generated in human and mouse B cells, but not in fibroblasts nor other antigen processing-deficient cells. In addition, ANi-2.3 recognition of this complex was dependent on His81 of the MHC beta chain, suggesting a role for this amino acid in Ni(2+) binding to MHC. We propose a general model for Ni(2+) recognition in which betaHis81 and two amino acids from the NH(2)-terminal part of the MHC bound peptide coordinate Ni(2+) which then interacts with some portion of the Valpha CDR1 or CDR2 region.