Impaired immune responses and altered peptide repertoire in tapasin-deficient mice.
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Garbi N; Division of Molecular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, im Neuenhelmer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.; Tan P; Diehl AD; Chambers BJ; Ljunggren HG; Momburg F; Hämmerling GJ
- Source
- Publisher: Nature America Inc Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 100941354 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1529-2908 (Print) Linking ISSN: 15292908 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Nat Immunol Subsets: MEDLINE
- Subject
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1529-2908
Tapasin is a component of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen-loading complex. Here we show that mice with a disrupted tapasin gene display reduced MHC class I expression. Cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses to viruses are impaired, and dendritic cells of tapasin-deficient mice do not cross-present protein antigen via the MHC class I pathway, indicating a defect in antigen processing. Natural killer (NK) cells from tapasin-deficient mice have an altered repertoire and are self-tolerant. In addition, the repertoire of class I-bound peptides is altered towards less stably binding ones. Thus tapasin plays a role in CTL and NK immune responses and in optimal peptide selection.