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Have we cut ourselves too short in mapping CTL epitopes?
Scott R Burrows1, Jamie Rossjohn, James McCluskey
1Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, Qld 4029, Australia. Scott.Burrows@qimr.edu.au
Trends in Immunology
|November 22, 2005
Summary
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses can be dominated by longer peptides (11-14 residues) presented by MHC class I molecules. Current prediction algorithms should be updated to include these longer peptides for better accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Structural Biology
Background:
- MHC class I molecules typically present peptides of 8-10 amino acids.
- Longer peptides (11-14 residues) can elicit dominant cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses.
- These longer peptides may outcompete shorter ones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presentation and T cell receptor recognition of longer peptides by MHC class I.
- To propose an update to peptide prediction algorithms.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of structural data on T cell receptor-peptide-MHC interactions.
- Review of existing algorithms for predicting MHC class I-binding peptides.
Main Results:
- Structural data show how super-bulged peptides engage T cell receptors while maintaining MHC restriction.
- Longer peptides can indeed dominate CTL responses.
Conclusions:
- Longer peptides (11-14 residues) are relevant for MHC class I presentation and CTL responses.
- Prediction algorithms for MHC class I-binding peptides should be expanded to include peptides longer than ten residues.