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Updated: Nov 22, 2025

Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation
Published on: August 21, 2017
IRAP Endosomes Control Phagosomal Maturation in Dendritic Cells.
Mirjana Weimershaus1, François-Xavier Mauvais1, Irini Evnouchidou1,2
1Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 1151, Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8253, Paris, France.
Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is crucial for dendritic cell (DC) immune surveillance. IRAP regulates phagosome maturation and antigen cross-presentation, essential for CD8+ T cell responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are key immune sentinels, sampling antigens via phagocytosis and endocytosis.
- A specialized endosomal compartment, marked by Rab14 and insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP), regulates antigen processing and cross-presentation to CD8+ T cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of IRAP in modulating phagosome maturation dynamics and antigen cross-presentation in DCs.
- To elucidate the dual function of IRAP as a peptidase and a factor in endosome stability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized IRAP knockout (IRAP-/-) DCs to study phagosome maturation and cross-presentation.
- Employed protease-dead IRAP mutants and pharmacological inhibition to assess IRAP's proteolytic activity.
- Investigated vesicle trafficking from the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment to endosomes.
Main Results:
- IRAP deficiency leads to accelerated phagosome maturation, increased degradative capacity, and enhanced microbicidal activity.
- Evidence suggests ER-Golgi intermediate compartment vesicle trafficking is vital for IRAP compartment formation/stability.
- IRAP expression, not its proteolytic activity, is essential for storage endosome formation and typical DC phagosome maturation.
Conclusions:
- IRAP plays a critical role in antigen cross-presentation by stabilizing endosomes and trimming peptides for MHC class I binding.
- Proteolytic activity of IRAP is required for efficient cross-presentation, while its structural role is key for phagosome maturation.
- IRAP acts as a crucial regulator, balancing antigen degradation and presentation for effective T cell immunity.
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