Characterization of naturally occurring minor histocompatibility peptides including H-4 and H-Y

O Rötzschke1, K Falk, H J Wallny

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie, Abteilung Immungenetik, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 20, 1990
PubMed

Minor histocompatibility (H) antigens can be peptides derived from cellular proteins that are presented on the cell surface by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. This is similar to viral antigens, because in both cases cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize artificially produced peptides loaded on target cells. Naturally processed minor H peptides were found to be similar to those artificial CTL-epitopes, as far as size and hydrophobicity is concerned. The peptides studied were isolated from a transfectant that expressed a model CTL-defined antigen, beta-galactosidase, from male cells that express H-Y, which has been known operationally since 1955, and from cells that express H-4, known since 1961.

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