Selection of potential T cell epitopes by determining the binding of antigenic peptides to MHC on antigen-presenting cells

Abstract

inding of the antigenic peptide resulting from antigen processing to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules constitutes a major event in T cell recognition of antigens. When they were incubated with potential antigen-presenting cells (APC), synthetic peptides bound directly to the surface of APC. The binding was specific for MHC molecules since it was substantially reduced by treating with anti-MHC antibodies. Furthermore, it was possible to render the peptides to bind only to the cell surface, by treating the APC with glutaraldehyde to block nonspecific internalization of the peptides. It was also shown that a peptide that elicited relevant immune responses and thus seemed to have T cell epitope(s) indeed bound to relavent APC surface through MHC molecules. The peptide, when analyzed theoretically by using an algorithm that had been designed for the prediction of T cell epitope(s), also appeared to have a potential T cell epitope. These results support that peptide binding assay employing v/hole cells as APC could provide a convenient way to determine potential T cell epitopes among a diverse anay of peptides.