Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation

J Vis Exp. 2017 Aug 21:(126):55949. doi: 10.3791/55949.

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly capable of processing and presenting internalized exogenous antigens upon major histocompatibility class (MHC) I molecules also known as cross-presentation (CP). CP plays an important role not only in the stimulation of naïve CD8+ T cells and memory CD8+ T cells for infectious and tumor immunity but also in the inactivation of self-acting naïve T cells by T cell anergy or T cell deletion. Although the critical molecular mechanism of CP remains to be elucidated, accumulating evidence indicates that exogenous antigens are processed through endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) after export from non-classical endocytic compartments. Until recently, characterizations of these endocytic compartments were limited because there were no specific molecular markers other than exogenous antigens. The method described here is a new vesicle isolation protocol, which allows for the purification of these endocytic compartments. Using this purified microsome, we reconstituted the ERAD-like transport, ubiquitination, and processing of the exogenous antigen in vitro, suggesting that the ubiquitin-proteasome system processed the exogenous antigen after export from this cellular compartment. This protocol can be further applied to other cell types to clarify the molecular mechanism of CP.

Publication types

  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Antigen Presentation / immunology*
  • Antigens / immunology*
  • Cross-Priming / genetics*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation / genetics*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / immunology*
  • Humans

Substances

  • Antigens
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I