Broadly targeted CD8 + T cell responses restricted by major histocompatibility complex E

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aac9475
• Publication Date: 2016-01-22T03:43:54Z
• Authors: Scott G. Hansen; Helen L. Wu; Benjamin J. Burwitz; Colette M. Hughes; Katherine B. Hammond; Abigail B. Ventura; Jason S. Reed; Roxanne M. Gilbride; Emily Ainslie; David W. Morrow; Julia C. Ford; Andrea N. Selseth; Reesab Pathak; Daniel Malouli; Alfred W. Legasse; Michael K. Axthelm; Jay A. Nelson; Geraldine M. Gill...; Lucy C. Walters; Simon Brackenridge; Hannah R. Sharpe; César A. López; Klaus Früh; Bette T. Korber; Andrew J. McMichael; S. Gnanakaran; Jonah B. Sacha; Louis J. Picker
• Keywords: MHC restriction

Major histocompatibility complex E (MHC-E) is a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed, nonclassical MHC class Ib molecule with limited polymorphism that primarily involved in the regulation of natural killer (NK) cells. We found vaccinating rhesus macaques cytomegalovirus vectors which genes Rh157.5 and Rh157.4 are deleted results MHC-E-restricted presentation varied peptide epitopes to CD8αβ(+) T cells, at ~4 distinct per 100 amino acids all tested antigens. Computational structural analysis revealed MHC-E provides heterogeneous chemical environments for diverse side-chain interactions within stable, open binding groove. Because up-regulated evade NK cell activity cells infected HIV, simian immunodeficiency virus, other persistent viruses, CD8(+) responses have potential exploit pathogen immune-evasion adaptations, capability might endow these unconventional superior efficacy.