Greetings, everyone,
I just started reading about the recognition of heat-shock proteins
by gamma-delta T cells. So I guess it's a fortunate coincidence that this
topic is being discussed on bionet.immunology at this very moment...
I've run across references to hsp58, 60, 65, and 70 in the litera-
ture. It seems that hsp70 shows some homology to MHC molecules. However,
what about the others? hsp60 is recognized by a specific gamma-delta T cell
population (V gamma 9, V delta 2) [1]. Is it a "superantigen"?
How about genomic location? Which, if any, of these genes are
MHC-encoded? The only literature I've been able to find on the cytogenetics
of hsp molecules shows that some hsp70 molecules aren't located in the MHC
of the pig [2]. If one accepts the dogma about gene linkage maintaining the
MHC, there woudln't appear to be any reason to include superantigen-type
molecules in the MHC.
1. Fisch P et. al., Science 250:1269 [1990]
2. Nunes M et. al., Mammalian Genome 4:247 [1993]
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Unique ID : Ladasky, John Joseph Jr.
Title : BA Biochemistry, U.C. Berkeley, 1989
Location : Stanford University, Dept. of Structural Biology, Fairchild D-105
Keywords : immunology, music, running, Green
