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Molecular Pathways for Immune Recognition of Preproinsulin Signal Peptide in Type 1 Diabetes

  • Department of Immunobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK [email protected].
  • National Institute for Health Research, Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK.
  • current address: Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
  • Department of Immunobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
  • University of Exeter
  • LUMC Leiden University Medical Center
  • Heidelberg University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)
302 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The signal peptide region of preproinsulin (PPI) contains epitopes targeted by human leucocyte antigen-A (HLA-A)-restricted (HLA-A0201, A2402) cytotoxic T-cells as part of the pathogenesis of β-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes. We extended PPI epitope discovery to disease-associated HLA-B*1801 and HLA-B*3906 (risk) and HLA-A*1101 and HLA-B*3801 (protective) alleles revealing that 4/6 alleles present epitopes derived from the signal peptide region. During co-translational translocation of PPI, its signal peptide is cleaved and retained within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, implying it is processed for immune recognition outside of the canonical, proteasome-directed pathway. Using in vitro translocation assays with specific inhibitors and gene knockout in PPI-expressing target cells we show that PPI signal peptide antigen processing requires signal peptide peptidase (SPP). The intramembrane protease SPP generates cytoplasm-proximal epitopes, which are transporter-associated-with-antigen-processing (TAP)-dependent, and ER-luminal (TAP-independent) epitopes, each presented by different HLA class I molecules, and N-terminal trimmed by ER aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) for optimal presentation. In vivo, TAP expression is significantly up-regulated and correlated with HLA class I hyper-expression in insulin-containing islets of patients with type 1 diabetes. Thus, PPI signal peptide epitopes are processed by SPP and loaded for HLA-guided immune recognition via pathways that are enhanced during disease pathogenesis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)687-696
JournalDiabetes
Volume67
Issue number4
Early online date20 Mar 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Apr 2018

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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