Bj. Mcfarland et al., Cutting edge: A single, essential hydrogen bond controls the stability of peptide-MHC class II complexes, J IMMUNOL, 163(7), 1999, pp. 3567-3571
The binding of peptides to MHC class II molecules is mediated in part by a
conserved array of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. We have evaluated the con
sequences of disrupting the hydrogen bond between beta-His-81 of the class
II molecule and bound peptide. These studies revealed that peptide dissocia
tion rates were accelerated by factors ranging to 200-fold. The sensitivity
of a peptide to loss of the hydrogen bond is inversely correlated with the
inherent kinetic stability of the peptide-MHC complex. The same relationsh
ip has been observed between inherent kinetic stability and the susceptibil
ity to DM. Given that the rate enhancement observed for MHC class II I-Ad p
rotein mutated at position 81 in the beta-chain is comparable with DM-catal
yzed rates for other class II molecules, we suggest that DM could function
by stabilizing a peptide-MHC intermediate in which one or more hydrogen bon
ds between the peptide and MHC, such as that contributed by the beta-His-81
hydrogen bond, are disrupted.