Evolutionary and functional perspectives of the major histocompatibility complex class I antigen-processing machinery
Author
Summary, in English
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules present antigenic peptides to CD8+ T cells, providing the basis for immune recognition of pathogen-infected cells. Peptides generated mainly by proteasomes in the cytosol are transported into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum by transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP). The maturation of MHC class I molecules is controlled by a number of accessory proteins and chaperones that are to a varying degree dedicated to the assembly of MHC class I. Several newly characterised proteins have been demonstrated to play important roles in this process. This review focuses on the functional relationship and evolutionary history of the antigen-processing machinery (APM) components and MHC class I itself. These are of great interest for further elucidating the origin of the immune system and understanding the mechanisms of antigen presentation and immunology in general.
Publishing year
2004
Language
English
Pages
2446-2460
Publication/Series
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
Volume
61
Issue
19-20
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Birkhäuser Verlag
Topic
- Cell Biology
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1420-9071