V?2 natural killer T cell antigen receptor-mediated recognition of CD1d-glycolipid antigen.

ABSTRACT: Natural killer T cell antigen receptors (NKT TCRs) recognize lipid-based antigens (Ags) presented by CD1d. Although the TCR ?-chain is invariant, NKT TCR V? exhibits greater diversity, with one (V?11) and three (V?8, V?7, and V?2) V? chains in humans and mice, respectively. With the exception of the V?2 NKT TCR, NKT TCRs possess canonical tyrosine residues within complementarity determining region (CDR) 2? that are critical for CD1d binding. Thus, how V?2 NKT TCR docks with CD1d-Ag was unclear. Despite the absence of the CDR2?-encoded tyrosine residues, we show that the V?2 NKT TCR engaged CD1d-Ag in a similar manner and with a comparable affinity and energetic footprint to the manner observed for the V?8.2 and V?7 NKT TCRs. Accordingly, the germline-encoded regions of the TCR ?-chain do not exclusively dictate the innate NKT TCR-CD1d-Ag docking mode. Nevertheless, clear fine specificity differences for the CD1d-Ag existed between the V?2 NKT TCR and the V?8.2 and V?7 NKT TCRs, with the V?2 NKT TCR exhibiting greater sensitivity to modifications to the glycolipid Ag. Furthermore, within the V?2 NKT TCR-CD1d-?GalCer complex, the CDR2? loop mediated fewer contacts with CD1d, whereas the CDR1? and CDR3? loops contacted CD1d to a much greater extent compared with most V?11, V?8.2, and V?7 NKT TCRs. Accordingly, there is a greater interplay between the germline- and nongermline-encoded loops within the TCR ?-chain of the V?2 NKT TCR that enables CD1d-Ag ligation.

SUBMITTER: Patel O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3223435 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature