The Emerging Role of HLA-E-Restricted CD8+ T Lymphocytes in the Adaptive Immune Response to Pathogens and Tumors. (22nd June 2010)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pietra, Gabriella; Romagnani, Chiara; Manzini, Claudia; Moretta, Lorenzo; Mingari, Maria Cristina
• Other Names: Xiao Zhengguo Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of biomedicine and biotechnology. Volume 2010(2010)
• Publication Date: 2010-06-22
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Medicine; Biology; Biotechnology; Médecine; Biologie; Biotechnologie; Biology; Biotechnology; Medicine; Biotechnology; Biomedicine; Electronic journals; Periodical; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 610
• DOI: 10.1155/2010/907092
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1110-7243

Abstract

Abstract : Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E is a nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule of limited sequence variability that is expressed by most tissues albeit at low levels. HLA-E has been first described as the ligand of CD94/NKG2 receptors expressed mainly by natural killer (NK) cells, thus confining its role to the regulation of NK-cell function. However, recent evidences obtained by our and other groups indicate that HLA-E complexed with peptides can interact with α β T-cell receptor (TCR) expressed on CD8 + T cells. Although, HLA-E displays a selective preference for nonameric peptides, derived from the leader sequence of various HLA class I alleles, several reports indicate that it can present also "noncanonical" peptides derived from both stress-related and pathogen-associated proteins. Because HLA-E displays binding specificity for innate CD94/NKG2 receptors, as well as all the features of an antigen-presenting molecule, its role in both natural and acquired immune responses has recently been re-evaluated.