We investigated T cell recognition for human minor histocompatibility (hmH) peptides using HLA-B*3501 restricted, hmH specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) clones. These CTL clones killed C1R cells expressing HLA-B*3501 but not C1R cells expressing chimeric antigens between HLA-B*3501 and HLA-B*5101. They also failed to kill C1R cells expressing HLA-B*3501 mutants at residue 152 (B*3501-V152E) or at residue 171 (B*3501-Y171H). The CTL clone failed to kill C1R cells expressing these mutant molecules loaded with the hmH peptides isolated from C1R-B*3501 cells although it killed a self-B cell line expressing HLA-B3501 loaded with the specific hmH peptides. The CTL clone also failed to kill T2 cells expressing the mutant molecules loaded with the specific peptides whereas it killed T2 cells expressing HLA-B*3501 loaded with the specific peptide. On the other hand, naturally occurring specific hmH peptides were isolated from purified B*3501-V152E and B*3501-Y171H molecules, indicating that both HLA-B*3501-V152E and HLA-B*3501-Y171H molecules can bind the hmH peptides. These findings indicate that both the conserved residue 171 in pocket A and the polymorphic residue 152 in pocket E are critical in recognition of the T cells but not binding of the hmH peptides. Furthermore, these results provide the possibility that the TCR recognizes a conformational structure of hmH peptides bound to HLA-B*3501 molecules.
Newly defined antigens of the B5, B35 cross-reacting group have been found in Japanese and North American Indians. Nucleotide sequencing of the alleles encoding the Japanese B5.35 antigen and the variant B5 antigen from the Piman Indians show them to be identical. This new allele, B*5102, differs from B*5101 by a single nucleotide substitution that changes residue 171 from histidine to tyrosine. Residue 171, which is part of the alpha 2 helix, is believed to contribute directly to peptide interaction in the A pocket of the binding groove and is either histidine or tyrosine in all HLA-A, B, C heavy chains. Tyrosine 171 is shared by B*5102, B*3501, B*3502, and B*5301 and must be responsible for the serological cross-reactivities of these molecules not shared with B*5101. Stimulation of lymphocytes from a B*5101 positive donor with B*5102 positive cells failed to generate cytotoxic T cells with specificity for the difference between these molecules. However, one out of five clones of cytotoxic T cells raised against B*5101 failed to lyse targets expressing B*5102. Substitution of histidine for tyrosine at residue 171 affected recognition of HLA-B35-restricted human minor histocompatibility antigen-specific T cell clones.
The nature of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors in normal and pathological thyroid membranes was studied on a crude membrane fraction (10 000 \m=x\ g pellet) of tissue homogenate. Optimal binding of 125I-EGF to human thyroid membranes was obtained at 25\s=deg\Cwith 1-h incubation at pH 7.4. The study revealed the presence of both high and low affinity receptors in normal and pathological thyroid membranes. The association constants of high affinity receptor (3.2 \m=x\10\m=-\9 mol/l) and of low affinity receptor (1.8 \m=x\10\m=-\8 mol/l) observed in normal thyroid membranes were similar to those of thyroid membranes from neoplastic as well as thyrotoxic thyroid tissues.[3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of cultured human thyroid cells was stimulated by EGF in a dose\x=req-\ dependent manner. A half-maximal stimulation was found around 1 \m=x\10\m=-\10 mol/l. These results suggest that EGF may have a possible role in the regulation of thyroid growth and function in physiological and pathological situations.
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