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Detection and Enrichment of Rare Antigen-specific B Cells for Analysis of Phenotype and Function
Published on: February 16, 2017
Exploring the mechanisms of antigen processing by cell fractionation
1Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8002, USA. philippe.pierre@qm.yale.edu
Current Opinion in Immunology
|May 29, 1998
Summary
Most intracellular compartments holding MHC class II products are conventional endosomes and lysosomes. Specialized endosomes, termed class II vesicles (CIIV), may exist for antigen processing, especially in dendritic cells.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Most antigen-presenting cells utilize conventional endosomes and lysosomes for MHC class II product presentation.
- The precise intracellular compartments involved in MHC class II antigen processing are still under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the existence and characteristics of specialized endosomal compartments for MHC class II antigen processing.
- To determine if these specialized compartments are particularly prevalent in specific antigen-presenting cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cell fractionation techniques, including electrophoresis, to isolate and analyze intracellular vesicles.
- Characterized the contents and abundance of MHC class II-containing vesicles.
Main Results:
- Identified a distinct population of vesicles containing MHC class II products.
- These specialized vesicles, designated class II vesicles (CIIV), were found to be abundant in mature dendritic cells.
- Evidence suggests CIIV may represent endosomes specialized for antigen processing.
Conclusions:
- A specialized endosomal compartment, CIIV, likely exists for efficient MHC class II antigen processing.
- Mature dendritic cells possess a high abundance of CIIV, suggesting a key role in their antigen-presenting function.
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