Endocytic sorting of MHC class I molecules

该项目研究了确定抗病毒免疫应答效率的两个过程，即细胞表面和内质网中MHC I类分子的质量控制。最初，将评价一组新的特意设计的I类突变体，这些突变体由于构象限制而在细胞中显示出改变的转运行为。这些突变体以及现有的试剂，然后将被用来调查I类构象稳定性的作用，与洗涤剂抗性膜微区的I类分子的协会，和I类分子的内吞作用，已经失去了他们的配体肽。这些结果将进一步加深我们对病毒免疫反应的理解，并可能产生增强免疫反应的策略。

This project investigates two processes that determine the efficiency of the antiviral immune response, namely the quality control of MHC class I molecules at the surface of the cell and – in comparison - in the Endoplasmic Reticulum. Initially, a set of new purposely designed mutants of class I that show an altered transport behavior in the cell due to a conformational restriction will be evaluated. These mutants as well as existing reagents will then be used to investigate the role of class I conformational stability, the association of class I molecules with detergent-resistant membrane microdomains, and the endocytosis of class I molecules that have lost their ligand peptide. The results will further our understanding of the immune response against viruses, and may yield strategies to enhance it.