Poster Presentation CD1-MR1 2024

Modulation of MAIT Cell Activation by Photolumazine V Microheterogeneity (#125)

Jason Krawic 1 , Nicole Ladd 2 , Curtis McMurtrey 3 , Meghan Cansler 4 , Jordan Devereaux 5 , Aneta Worley 6 , Tania Ahmed 4 , Cara Froyd 2 , Corinna Kulicke 7 , Gwendolyn Swarbrick 4 , Aaron Nilsen 5 , David Lewinsohn 6 7 , Erin Adams 2 , William Hildebrand 1
  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
  3. Pure MHC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
  4. Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
  5. Medicinal Chemistry Core, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
  6. Research and Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
  7. Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America

In response to microbial infection, the non-classical antigen presenting molecule MHC class I-related protein 1 (MR1) presents secondary microbial metabolites to mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. Here, we further explore the repertoire of ligands captured by MR1 produced from Mycobacterium smegmatis via mass spectrometry.  We identify the novel MR1 ligand “Photolumazine V” (PLV), a hydroxyindolyl-ribityllumazine with four possible isomers differing in the positioning of a hydroxyl group, all of which can be produced by M. smegmatis.  Synthetic PLV isomers induce MR1 surface translocation and MAIT cell clones expressing distinct TCR beta chains differentially responded to the PLV isomers.  These data demonstrate that subtle changes in the positioning of a single hydroxyl group modulate TCR recognition and emphasize how structural microheterogeneity in the MR1 antigen repertoire influences MAIT cell recognition.