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Publication Abstract from PubMed

The T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-peptide-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) interface is composed of conserved and diverse regions, yet the relative contribution of each in shaping recognition by T cells remains unclear. Here we isolated cross-reactive peptides with limited homology, which allowed us to compare the structural properties of nine peptides for a single TCR-MHC pair. The TCR's cross-reactivity was rooted in highly similar recognition of an apical 'hot-spot' position in the peptide with tolerance of sequence variation at ancillary positions. Furthermore, we found a striking structural convergence onto a germline-mediated interaction between the TCR CDR1alpha region and the MHC alpha2 helix in twelve TCR-peptide-MHC complexes. Our studies suggest that TCR-MHC germline-mediated constraints, together with a focus on a small peptide hot spot, might place limits on peptide antigen cross-reactivity.

Structural interplay between germline interactions and adaptive recognition determines the bandwidth of TCR-peptide-MHC cross-reactivity.,Adams JJ, Narayanan S, Birnbaum ME, Sidhu SS, Blevins SJ, Gee MH, Sibener LV, Baker BM, Kranz DM, Garcia KC Nat Immunol. 2016 Jan;17(1):87-94. doi: 10.1038/ni.3310. Epub 2015 Nov 2. PMID:26523866^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.