Distinct Polymorphisms in HLA Class I Molecules Govern Their Susceptibility to Peptide Editing by TAPBPR

Understanding how peptide selection is controlled on different major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) molecules is pivotal for determining how variations in these proteins influence our predisposition to infectious diseases, cancer, and autoinflammatory conditions. Although the intracellular chaperone TAPBPR edits MHC I peptides, it is unclear which allotypes are subjected to TAPBPR-mediated peptide editing. Here, we examine the ability of 97 different human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I allotypes to interact with TAPBPR. We reveal a striking preference of TAPBPR for HLA-A, particularly for supertypes A2 and A24, over HLA-B and -C molecules. We demonstrate that the increased propensity of these HLA-A molecules to undergo TAPBPR-mediated peptide editing is determined by molecular features of the HLA-A F pocket, specifically residues H114 and Y116. This work reveals that specific polymorphisms in MHC I strongly influence their susceptibility to chaperone-mediated peptide editing, which may play a significant role in disease predisposition.