Second class minors: Molecular identification of the autosomal H46 histocompatibility locus as a peptide presented by major histocompatibility complex class II molecules

CD4 T cells regulate immune responses that cause chronic graft rejection and graft versus host disease but their target antigens remain virtually unknown. We developed a new method to identify CD4 T cell-stimulating antigens. LacZ-inducible CD4 T cells were used as a probe to detect their cognate peptide/MHC II ligand generated in dendritic cells fed with Escherichia coli expressing a library of target cell genes. The murine H46 locus on chromosome 7 was thus found to encode the interleukin 4-induced IL4i1 gene. The IL4i1 precursor contains the HAFVEAIPELQGHV peptide which is presented by A^b major histocompatibility complex class II molecule via an endogenous pathway in professional antigen presenting cells. Both allelic peptides bind A^b and a single alanine to methionine substitution at p2 defines nonself. These results reveal novel features of H loci that regulate CD4 T cell responses as well as provide a general strategy for identifying elusive antigens that elicit CD4 T cell responses to tumors or self-tissues in autoimmunity.