The intracellular trafficking of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) proteins is directed by three quality control mechanisms that test for their structural integrity, which is correlated to the binding of high-affinity antigenic peptide ligands. To investigate which molecular features of MHC-I these quality control mechanisms detect, we have followed the hypothesis that suboptimally loaded MHC-I molecules are characterized by their conformational mobility in the F-pocket region of the peptide-binding site. We have created a novel variant of an MHC-I protein, K b -Y84C, in which two a-helices in this region are linked by a disulfide bond that mimics the conformational and dynamic effects of bound highaffinity peptide. K b -Y84C shows a remarkable increase in the binding affinity to its light chain, beta-2 microglobulin (b 2 m), and bypasses all three cellular quality control steps. Our data demonstrate (1) that coupling between peptide and b 2 m binding to the MHC-I heavy chain is mediated by conformational dynamics; (2) that the folded conformation of MHC-I, supported by b 2 m, plays a decisive role in passing the ER-to-cell-surface transport quality controls; and (3) that b 2 m association is also tested by the cell surface quality control that leads to MHC-I endocytosis.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules present cell internally derived peptides at the plasma membrane for surveillance by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The surface expression of most class I molecules at least partially depends on the endoplasmic reticulum protein, tapasin, which helps them to bind peptides of the right length and sequence. To determine what makes a class I molecule dependent on support by tapasin, we have conducted in silico molecular dynamics (MD) studies and laboratory experiments to assess the conformational state of tapasin-dependent and -independent class I molecules. We find that in the absence of peptide, the region around the F pocket of the peptide binding groove of the tapasin-dependent molecule HLA-B*44:02 is in a disordered conformational state and that it is converted to a conformationally stable state by tapasin. This novel chaperone function of tapasin has not been described previously. We demonstrate that the disordered state of class I is caused by the presence of two adjacent acidic residues in the bottom of the F pocket of class I, and we suggest that conformational disorder is a common feature of tapasin-dependent class I molecules, making them essentially unable to bind peptides on their own. MD simulations are a useful tool to predict such conformational disorder of class I molecules.

The human MHC class I protein HLA-B*27:05 is statistically associated with ankylosing spondylitis, unlike HLA-B*27:09, which differs in a single amino acid in the F pocket of the peptide-binding groove. To understand how this unique amino acid difference leads to a different behavior of the proteins in the cell, we have investigated the conformational stability of both proteins using a combination of in silico and experimental approaches. Here, we show that the binding site of B*27:05 is conformationally disordered in the absence of peptide due to a charge repulsion at the bottom of the F pocket. In agreement with this, B*27:05 requires the chaperone protein tapasin to a greater extent than the conformationally stable B*27:09 in order to remain structured and to bind peptide. Taken together, our data demonstrate a method to predict tapasin dependence and physiological behavior from the sequence and crystal structure of a particular class I allotype.Keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis r HLA-B27 r Major histocompatibility complex r Molecular dynamics r Natively unstructured proteins r Protein folding r Simulations Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of this article at the publisher's web-site Introduction MHC class I molecules are heterotrimeric proteins that transport antigenic peptides to the cell surface and present them to cytotoxic T cells. They consist of the transmembrane heavy chain (HC), the noncovalently associated light chain beta-2 microglobulin (β 2 m), and an antigenic peptide of eight to ten amino acids. The Correspondence: Prof. Sebastian Springer e-mail: s.springer@jacobs-university.de extracellular part of the heavy chain comprises the α 1 , α 2 , and α 3 domains. The α 1 and α 2 domains form the peptide-binding groove, a superdomain that consists of an antiparallel beta sheet surmounted by two alpha helices, between which the peptide binds [1,2].In the cell, peptide binding to class I is a multistep process within the ER. It involves the peptide-loading complex, which consists of the peptide transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) that transports peptides from the cytosol into the ER lumen [3] and several chaperone proteins such as tapasin, which binds both to the class I molecule and TAP [4,5].C 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.eji-journal.eu Eur. J. Immunol. 2015. 45: 1248-1257 Molecular immunology 1249The sequence of peptides that can bind to class I is determined by interactions with the amino acid side chains of the peptide-binding groove. The high sequence polymorphism of the peptide-binding groove in human class I molecules (human leukocyte antigens, HLA-A, -B, and -C) means that different allotypes bind different peptides; thus, individual HLA allotypes-such as HLA-B27-support-specific immune responses and are statistically associated with disease [6,7]. Among the subtypes of HLA-B27 [8,9], HLA-B*27:05 (B*27:05) shows a very strong statistical association with spondyloarthropathies such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS), in contr...

Major histocompatibility complex class I proteins, which present antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T lymphocytes at the surface of all nucleated cells, are endocytosed and destroyed rapidly once their peptide ligand has dissociated. The molecular mechanism of this cellular quality control process, which prevents rebinding of exogenous peptides and thus erroneous immune responses, is unknown. To identify the nature of the decisive step in endocytic sorting of class I molecules and its location, we have followed the removal of optimally and suboptimally peptide-loaded murine H-2K(b) class I proteins from the cell surface. We find that the binding of their light chain, β2-microglobulin (β2m), protects them from endocytic destruction. Thus, the extended survival of suboptimally loaded K(b) molecules at 25°C is attributed to decreased dissociation of β2m. Because all forms of K(b) are constantly internalized but little β2m-receptive heavy chain is present at the cell surface, it is likely that β2m dissociation and recognition of the heavy chain for lysosomal degradation take place in an endocytic compartment.

Altered expression and/or localization of cysteine cathepsins is believed to involve in thyroid diseases including cancer. Here, we examined the localization of cathepsins B and V in human thyroid tissue sections of different pathological conditions by immunolabeling and morphometry.Cathepsin B was mostly found within endo-lysosomes as expected. In contrast, cathepsin V was detected within nuclei, predominantly in cells of cold nodules, follicular and papillary thyroid carcinoma tissue, while it was less often detected in this unusual localization in hot nodule and goiter tissue. To understand the significance of nuclear cathepsin V in thyroid cells, this study aimed to establish a cellular model of stable nuclear cathepsin V expression. As representative of a specific form lacking the signal peptide and part of the propeptide, N-terminally truncated cathepsin V fused to eGFP recapitulated the nuclear localization of endogenous cathepsin V throughout the cell cycle in Nthy-ori 3-1 cells. Interestingly, the N-terminally truncated cathepsin V-eGFP was more abundant in the nuclei during S phase. These findings suggested a possible contribution of nuclear cathepsin V forms to cell cycle progression. Indeed, we found that Nterminally truncated cathepsin V-eGFP expressing cells were more proliferative than those expressing full-length cathepsin V-eGFP or wild type controls. We conclude that a specific molecular form of cathepsin V localizes to the nucleus of thyroid epithelial and carcinoma cells, where it might involve in deregulated pathways leading to hyperproliferation. These findings highlight the necessity to better understand cathepsin trafficking in health and disease. In particular, cell type specificity of mislocalization of cysteine cathepsins, which otherwise act in a functionally redundant manner, seems to be important to understand their non-canonical roles in cell cycle progression.