Identification of T cell epitopes occurring in a meningococcal class 1 outer membrane protein using overlapping peptides assembled with simultaneous multiple peptide synthesis.

The meningococcal class 1 outer membrane protein (OMP) plays an important role in the development of protective immunity against meningococcal infection, and is therefore considered to be a promising candidate antigen (Ag) for a meningococcal vaccine. The induction of an effective antibody response entirely depends upon T helper cells. To identify T cell epitopes of the OMP, we prepared 45 overlapping synthetic peptides representing the entire sequence of the class 1 protein of reference strain H44/76. Fully automated simultaneous multiple peptide synthesis (SMPS) was used to assemble the 45 twenty mer which overlapped by 12 amino acid residues on a 12 mumol scale. The peptides were tested for recognition by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from 34 volunteers. Surprisingly, all synthetic peptides induced proliferative responses of PBMC isolated from one or more human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-typed immune adults. With PBMC from seven nonimmune donors, no proliferative response was observed. Immunodominant regions were found, recognized by PBMC from many volunteers, irrespective of their HLA type. Most of the immunodominant T cell epitopes are located outside the variable regions and, thus, will be conserved among different meningococcal (and gonococcal) strains. Furthermore, the overlapping peptides could be used to identify the epitopes recognized by OMP-specific T cell clones with known HLA restriction. It is interesting that the epitopes defined with the clones occur in highly conserved areas, shared by all neisserial porin proteins. In summary, this analysis of the T cell response to the meningococcal class 1 OMP constitutes a complete study of reactivity to a foreign protein, and illustrates some important features of Ag recognition by T cells. Our data demonstrate unexpected diversity in the T cell recognition of the OMP, and imply that the T cell repertoire against foreign Ag may be greater than previously assumed. This observation is supported by recent data on the interaction of peptide and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, the latter being much less selective than MHC class I. Finally, a comparative analysis pointed out the limitations of algorithms predicting T cell determinants, and the importance of the empirical methodology provided by SMPS.

1H NMR structural analysis of novel potassium blocking toxins using a nano-NMR probe.

A new class of toxin acting on potassium channels and cross-linked by four disulfide bridges instead of three has been recently described. Two peptides, Pi1 and Pi7, purified from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator belong to this new class. Structural features of one of these new toxins. Pi1, have been investigated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance using a new technology that allows to work with very small amount of compound, in the nanomole range. It is shown that it is possible to collect high quality data set in terms of resolution, lineshape and sensitivity with nanomolar amount of compound using this technology. Preliminary results on Pi7 are also presented. The approach described here is quite attractive for the study of natural compounds such as toxins often available at low amounts.

Implications of a Fab-like structure for the T-cell receptor.

The antigen-specific receptor of T lymphocytes (TCR) and the Fab moiety of immunoglobulins are expected to fold into similar three-dimensional structures because of their identical protein domain organization, the conservation of key residues and their overall sequence homology. However, T cells mostly appear to recognize short peptide antigens bound to MHC class I or class II presenting molecules. A complete model of the human leucocyte antigen molecule (HLA-A2) reconstructed from the alpha-carbon coordinates was used to investigate the putative organization of a TCR/peptide/HLA-A2 complex. In this article, Jean-Michel Claverie and co-workers show that the respective geometries of a Fab-like TCR structure and of the HLA-A2 antigen binding site suggest a model where the third variable regions of both chains of the TCR mainly interact with the peptide antigen, while the first and/or second less variable regions are in position for making contact with residues pointing up from the alpha 1 and alpha 2 helical regions of the HLA-A2 molecule.

A novel potassium channel blocking toxin from the scorpion Pandinus imperator: A 1H NMR analysis using a nano-NMR probe.

The three-dimensional solution structure of a novel peptide, Pi 1, purified from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator and specific for potassium channels was determined by homonuclear proton NMR methods at 500 MHz from nanomole amounts of compound. P. imperator toxin is a voltage-dependent potassium channel specific peptide capable of blocking the shaker B K+ channels expressed in Sf9 cells in culture (Spodoptera frugiperda cell line no. 9) and displacing labeled noxiustoxin from rat brain synaptosomal membranes. The toxin has only 35 amino acid residues but is stabilized by four disulfide bridges (Cys4-Cys25, Cys10-Cys30, Cys14-Cys32, and Cys20-Cys35) instead of three commonly found in small potassium channel toxins. A detailed nuclear magnetic resonance structure of this protein was obtained using a nano-NMR probe and a combination of two-dimensional proton NMR experiments. The dihedral angles and distance restraints obtained from measured NMR parameters were used in structural calculations in order to determine the solution conformation of the toxin. The structure is organized around a short alpha-helix spanning residues Ser8-Thr18 and a beta-sheet. These two elements of secondary structure are stabilized by two disulfide bridges, Cys10-Cys30 and Cys14-Cys32. The antiparallel beta-sheet is composed of two strands extending from Asn22 to Cys32 with a tight turn at Arg28-Met29 in contact with the N-terminal fragment Leu1-Cys4. Comparison between the 3D structure of Pi 1 and those of other structurally and functionally related scorpion toxins is presented.

Biased amino acid distributions in regions of the T cell receptors and MHC molecules potentially involved in their association.

We have analysed, in the context of the available structural information, the frequency of occurrence of different amino acids in functional regions of both the class I MHC antigens and of the TCR alpha and beta chains. We found that in class I MHC molecules, charged residues are found frequently among those which are presumably dedicated to interactions with the TCR, while the aromatic side chain residues are found more in the interior of the groove. In the TCR, the Asn residue appears with high frequency in all the CDR equivalents. The TCR CDR3s of both alpha and beta chains are particularly rich in Gly, whereas the CDR1 and CDR2 loops exhibit strong biases in favour of charged residues. Accordingly, the interactions between the MHC molecule and the peptide antigen appear to be essentially mediated by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, while electrostatic interactions between charged residues might be important in the association of TCR and MHC molecules. The observation that each CDR1 and CDR2 is biased towards a particular set of amino acids, taken together with the nature of the protruding residues on the MHC helices, allows us to propose, in the frame of a molecular model of the MHC-TCR complex, several plausible configurations.

[HLA-A29 sub-types and "Birdshot" choroido-retinopathy susceptibility: a possible "resistance motif" in the HLA-A29.1 molecule]. / Sous-types HLA-A29 et susceptibilité à la choroïdorétinopathie de type "Birdshot": un "motif de résistance" possible dans la molécule HLA-A29.1.

The Birdshot choroidoretinopathy (BSCR) is an ocular disease strongly associated with HLA-A29. The HLA-A29 specificity can be split using immunoelectrofocusing in two subtypes A29.1 and A29.2. BSCR susceptibility is exclusively linked to the HLA-A29.2 molecule. The sequence of HLA-A29.2 was established (EMBL X60108 and found to be identical between patients and healthy individuals. A single difference was found (H----D) 102) in the extra cellular domains between HLA-A29.2 and HLA-A29.1. The HLA-A29 sub-types shares the consensus HLA class I sequence (D102). The mutation exhibited by HLA-A29.1 (H102) is unique to that molecule. The ancestral type is thus HLA-A29.2 that confers the susceptibility to BSCR whereas HLA-A29.1 has arisen from a more recent mutation conferring resistance to BSCR. Another single amino-acid difference between HLA-A29.1 and HLA-A29.2 was found in the intracytoplasmic part of the molecule, HLA-A29.2 exhibiting the HLA-A consensus sequence whereas A29.1 shares with AW33.1 the mutation S----F321. In addition, the A29 specificity was assigned to L and Q amino-acids at position 62-63, which can interact with peptides into the binding groove. No specific T or B epitope of susceptibility could be considered involving the region of the mutation discriminating HLA-A29.2 from HLA-A29.1. The HLA-A29.1 mutation is unable to interact with the T cell receptor and did not seem to induce significant structural changes in the peptide-binding groove. Conversely, its position suggests that the A29.1 mutation might interfere with the binding of an accessory molecule, the CD8 molecule being the most likely candidate for that role.

Extensive structural homology between H-2 K/D/L antigens and non-polymorphic class I Qa, Tla and "37" molecules suggests they may act as peptide carriers.

Key structural features of H-2 K/D/L and HLA A/B/C class I molecules were identified by analysing the available sequences with reference to the 3-D structure of HLA-A2. Most of them were found to be conserved in a panel of 6 Qa and 4 Tla sequences. This finding, in addition to the high overall sequence similarity between polymorphic and non-polymorphic class I molecules strongly suggests a possible role for the latter in peptide binding, transport and/or presentation.

Pi7, an orphan peptide from the scorpion Pandinus imperator: a 1H-NMR analysis using a nano-NMR Probe.

The three-dimensional solution structure of a novel peptide, Pi7, purified from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator, and for which no specific receptor has been found yet, was determined by two-dimensional homonuclear proton NMR methods from a nanomole amount of compound using a nano-nmr probe. Pandinus imperator peptide 7 does not block voltage-dependent K(+)-channels and does not displace labeled noxiustoxin from rat brain synaptosomal membranes. The toxin has 38 amino acid residues and, similarly to Pi1, is stabilized by four disulfide bridges (Cys6-Cys27, Cys12-Cys32, Cys16-Cys34, and Cys22-Cys37). In addition, the lysine at position 26 crucial for potassium-channel blocking is replaced in Pi7 by an arginine. Tyrosine 34, equivalent to Tyr36 of ChTX is present, but the N-terminal positions 1 and 2 are occupied by two acidic residues Asp and Glu, respectively. The dihedral angles and distance restraints obtained from measured NMR parameters were used in structural calculations in order to determine the conformation of the peptide. The disulfide-bridge topology was established using distance restraints allowing ambiguous partners between S atoms combined with NMR-derived structural information. The structure is organized around a short alpha-helix spanning residues Thr9 to Thr20/Gly21 and a beta-sheet. These two elements of secondary structure are stabilized by two disulfide bridges, Cys12-Cys32 and Cys16-Cys34. The antiparallel beta-sheet is composed of two strands extending from Asn22 to Cys34 with a tight turn at Ile28-Asn29 in contact with the N-terminal fragment Ile4 to Cys6.

Role of the CDR1 region of the TCR beta chain in the binding to purified MHC-peptide complex.

Single alanine substitutions were introduced into the CDR1 region of the beta chain of a Kd-restricted TCR. Mutants and wild-type TCR were attached to the zeta chain of the CD3 complex and expressed at the surface of a rat basophil cell line. Transfectants were tested for the binding of purified soluble Kd-peptide complexes. With this experimental system, accessory molecules are unlikely to play a major role and the contribution of each residue to the interaction can be addressed. Results show that all positions in the CDR1 region are involved in the binding to the Kd-peptide complex but at varying degrees. These effects are discussed in relation to a molecular model of the TCR. Comparison of these results with previous data obtained in a T cell hybridoma system suggests the existence of a threshold in the TCR affinity necessary for mature T cell activation.

Most residues on the floor of the antigen binding site of the class I MHC molecule H-2Kd influence peptide presentation.

A panel of 15 single alanine substitutions on the floor of the peptide binding groove of the murine class I histocompatibility molecule H-2Kd has been analyzed. All but two mutant molecules were expressed on the cell surface, and were tested for peptide binding and presentation to specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Eleven out of 13 mutant molecules appeared to be functionally altered. Five of the substituted residues were involved in the presentation of all peptides tested. Three participated in the presentation of certain peptides but not others. Three other residues participated in epitope formation through indirect interactions. Only two mutations had no detectable effect.

Structural information on a cecropin-like synthetic peptide, Shiva-3 toxic to the sporogonic development of Plasmodium berghei.

This study is a contribution towards the understanding of the mode of action of Shiva-3 and more generally that of cecropin-like peptides. Structural information on Shiva-3 (a cecropin-like synthetic peptide) in water and in a membrane-mimicking environment (trifluoroethanol alcohol, SDS) were obtained using analytical centrifugation, CD and NMR spectroscopies. A total of 20 converged structures were retained on the basis of 197 non-redundant experimental constraints, including 166 distance constraints from the nuclear Overhauser effect measurements and 31 dihedral angle restraints derived from the purged COSY experiments. Some results obtained in presence of SDS are also presented. The toxic effects of the peptides obtained by cleavage (trypsin and lysine-C hydrolysis) of Shiva-3 on Escherichia coli and on Plasmodium berghei sporogonic stages are reported. Biological effects are discussed in relation to the calculated structure. The antiparasite activity and the low mosquito toxicity of Shiva-3 make this peptide a good candidate for genetic transformation of mosquito vectors which warrants further studies aimed at the improvement of the molecule.