Specificities of human tap alleles for HLA—B27 binding peptides

摘要

AbstractObjective. Allelic TAP polymorphism has been linked to susceptibility to Reiter's syndrome and was suggested to influence disease phenotype in HLA‐B27 positive patients with ankylosing spondylitis. In the present study, we examined whether the human TAP alleles functionally differ in their translocation specificity for HLA‐B27‐binding nonamers.Methods. TAP translocation of a panel of HLA‐B27‐binding peptides was measured with a labeled reporter peptide containing an N‐linked glycosylation acceptor site in streptolysin O‐permeabilized cells with different TAP alleles.Results. The different human TAP alleles tested did not measurably differ in their peptide specificity.Conclusion. The polymorphism of human TAP does not affect the translocated repertoire of HLA‐B27 ligands and is therefore unlikely to play a decisive role in the development of HLA‐B27