Method for Performing T Cell Receptor-Peptide-Human Leukocyte Antigen Co-complexation and Structural Analysis
Demetra S M Chatzileontiadou1,2,3, Stephanie Gras4,5,6
1Infection and Immunity Program, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
Abstract:
An important component of the adaptive immune system is the T cells that detect and clear pathogen-infected cells. T cells have surface receptors (TCRs) that recognize pathogen-derived peptides bound by immune proteins called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) in humans. The intricate interaction between the TCR and the peptide-HLA (pHLA) complex drives the T cell activation that, in turn, dictates infection's outcome. To understand this key interaction, X-ray crystallography has been used to determine the atomic structures of both the TCR and the pHLA after complex formation. In this chapter, we describe the method to form a TCR-pHLA complex, crystallize it and analyze the resulting crystal structure.
