PMID: 19605354 , Related PDB id: 3HG1

Authors:

Cole DK, Yuan F, Rizkallah PJ, Miles JJ, Gostick E, Price DA, Gao GF, Jakobsen BK, Sewell AK

Title:

Germ line-governed recognition of a cancer epitope by an immunodominant human T-cell receptor.

Journal:

J Biol Chem. 2009 Oct 2;284(40):27281-9. Epub 2009 Jul 15.

Abstract:

CD8(+) T-cells specific for MART-1-(26-35), a dominant melanoma epitope restricted by human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*0201, are exceptionally common in the naive T-cell repertoire. Remarkably, the TRAV12-2 gene is used to encode the T-cell receptor alpha (TCRalpha) chain in >87% of these T-cells. Here, the molecular basis for this genetic bias is revealed from the structural and thermodynamic properties of an archetypal TRAV12-2-encoded TCR complexed to the clinically relevant heteroclitic peptide, ELAGIGILTV, bound to HLA-A*0201 (A2-ELA). Unusually, the TRAV12-2 germ line-encoded regions of the TCR dominate the major atomic contacts with the peptide at the TCR/A2-ELA interface. This "innate" pattern of antigen recognition probably explains the unique characteristics and extraordinary frequencies of CD8(+) T-cell responses to this epitope.