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Human pathogen subversion of antigen presentation
Author(s) -
Brodsky Frances M.,
Lem Lawrence,
Solache Alejandra,
Bennett Elizabeth M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1999.tb01294.x
Subject(s) - biology , antigen presentation , major histocompatibility complex , mhc class i , antigen processing , intracellular parasite , immune system , pathogen , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , immunology , t cell
Summary: Many pathogens have co‐evolved with their human hosts to develop strategies for immune evasion that involve disruption of the intra‐cellular pathways by which antigens are bound by class I and class II molecules of che major histocompatibility complex (MHC) for presentation ro T cells. Here the molecular events in these pathways are reviewed and pathogen interference is documented for viruses, extracellular and intra‐cellular bacteria and intracellular parasites. In addition to a general review, data from our studies of adenovirus, Chlamydia tmchamatis and Coxiella burnetii are summarized. Adenovirus E19 is the first viral gene product described that affects class I MHC molecule expression by two separate mechanisms, intracellular retention of the class I heavy chain by direct binding and by binding to the TAP transporter involved in class I peptide loading. Coxiella and Chlamydia both affect peptide presentation by class II MHC molecules as a result of their residence in endocytic compartments, although the properties of the parasitophorous vacuoles they form are quite different. These examples of active interference with antigen presentation by viral gene products and passive interference by rickettsiae and bacteria are typical of the strategies used by these different classes of pathogens, which need to evade different types of immune responses. Pathogen–host co‐evolution is evident in these subversion tactics for which the pathogen crime seems tailored to fit the immune system punishment.