AI Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on how NKT TCR (T-cell receptors) recognize both microbial and self-lipid antigens presented by CD1d molecules, highlighting a gap in understanding self-CD1d recognition.
- Researchers determined the 3D structure of the NKT TCR in complex with CD1d and a natural self-antigen at high resolution, revealing important details about this interaction.
- Key findings show that NKT TCRs exhibit strong autoreactivity due to specific sequences in their CDR3β loop, allowing them to effectively recognize a range of self-antigens through a consistent recognition mechanism.
Article Abstract
The antigen receptor for natural killer T cells (NKT TCR) binds CD1d-restricted microbial and self-lipid antigens, although the molecular basis of self-CD1d recognition is unclear. Here, we have characterized NKT TCR recognition of CD1d molecules loaded with natural self-antigens (Ags) and report the 2.3 Å resolution structure of an autoreactive NKT TCR-phosphatidylinositol-CD1d complex. NKT TCR recognition of self- and foreign antigens was underpinned by a similar mode of germline-encoded recognition of CD1d. However, NKT TCR autoreactivity is mediated by unique sequences within the non-germline-encoded CDR3β loop encoding for a hydrophobic motif that promotes self-association with CD1d. Accordingly, NKT cell autoreactivity may arise from the inherent affinity of the interaction between CD1d and the NKT TCR, resulting in the recognition of a broad range of CD1d-restricted self-antigens. This demonstrates that multiple self-antigens can be recognized in a similar manner by autoreactive NKT TCRs.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070541 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2011.01.013 | DOI Listing |
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