Induction of an adaptive, or antigen specific, immune response is critical for eliminating most infections. Pathogen clearance is accomplished primarily, by the actions of CD4+ T cells through their ability to recognize foreign antigens presented at the cell surface by major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) molecules. Consequently, the capacity to regulate expression of MHC molecules is ess...

The underlying etiological cause of non-hereditary colorectal cancer has yet to be determined. The adenoma-carcinoma sequence is widely accepted, however, a sole trigger has not been specified. Therefore, we sought to further define genotypic and phenotypic parameters that could be involved in promoting a possible infection, inflammation and hyper-proliferation, followed by the adenoma-carcinom...

Innate and adaptive immunity are connected via antigen processing and presentation (APP), which results in the presentation of antigenic peptides to T cells in the complex with the major histocompatibility (MHC) determinants. MHC class II (MHC II) determinants present antigens to CD4+ T cells, which are the main regulators of the immune response. Their genes are transcribed from compact promote...

CD4(+) T cells expand after transfer into lymphopenic H-2(b) A(beta)-/- mice (I-A(beta)-, I-E(alpha)-deficient mice) but not after transfer into lymphopenic MHC II(Delta/Delta) mice (I-A(alpha)-, I-A(beta)-, I-E(alpha)-, and I-E(beta)-deficient mice), implying that in H-2(b) A(beta)-/- mice, A(alpha) chain and E(beta) chain associate to form a hybrid A(alpha)E(beta) MHC class II molecule. In li...

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a dynamic genome region with an essential role in the adaptive immunity of vertebrates, especially antigen presentation. The MHC is generally divided into subregions (classes I, II and III) containing genes of similar function across species, but with different gene number and organisation. Crocodylia (crocodilians) are widely distributed and repres...

Recently, it has been demonstrated that the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Nef from laboratory strains down-modulates cell surface expression of mature major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules, while up-regulating surface expression of the invariant chain (Ii) associated with immature MHC-II (P. Stumptner-Cuvelette, S. Morchoisne, M. Dugast, S. Le Gall, G. Rapos...

Autophagy-related (ATG) gene products regulate macroautophagy, LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) and LC3-dependent extracellular vesicle loading secretion (LDELS). These processes also influence antigen processing for presentation on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules to T cells. Here, I summarize how these different pathways use the macroautophagy machinery, contribute MHC class ...

We studied the mechanisms of MHC class II-restricted bacterial Ag processing of the surface fibrillar M5 protein from viable Streptococcus pyogenes in murine macrophages. Two previously defined T cell epitopes were studied using T cell hybridomas specific for 308-319/Ad, associated with the cell wall on the surface of streptococci, and 17-31/Ed, located at the protruding amino terminus of M5. S...

Expression of MHC class II pathway proteins in ovarian cancer correlates with prolonged survival. Murine and human ovarian cancer cells were treated with epigenetic modulators - histone deacetylase inhibitors and a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. mRNA and protein expression of the MHC II pathway were evaluated by qPCR and flow cytometry. Treatment with entinostat and azacytidine of ID8 cells i...