Specific binding of antigenic peptides to separate alpha and beta chains of class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complex.

Class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complex bind antigenic peptides and present them to T-helper cells. Class II molecules are heterodimers consisting of one alpha and one beta chain. Here we report that each isolated alpha and beta chain binds antigenic peptides and that this binding is specific. The specificity of peptide binding was investigated by employing the murine major histocompatibility complex haplotypes I-Ad and I-Ek and fluorescence-labeled peptides of chicken ovalbumin and pigeon cytochrome c, respectively, which are known to be specific for these haplotypes. The major histocompatibility complex molecules were incubated with these peptides and subjected to SDS/PAGE under nondenaturing conditions. The gels were then scanned for the fluorescent peptides and, after silver staining, for proteins. We found that the fluorescence-labeled peptide fragment of ovalbumin bound preferentially to the isolated alpha and beta chains of I-Ad, whereas the fluorescence-labeled peptide fragment of pigeon cytochrome c bound preferentially to the isolated alpha and beta chains of I-Ek. The alpha and beta chains of each haplotype bound their specific peptides about equally well, suggesting comparable affinities. Our results indicate that in vivo the kinetic pathway for the formation of antigenic peptide complexes with the alpha/beta heterodimers may involve the initial formation of complexes of the alpha and/or beta chains with the specific antigenic peptides.