Adenovirus hexon protein-derived peptide-HLA complex (Adv-hexon-pMHC)

The Adenovirus hexon protein-derived peptide-HLA complex is a molecular assembly consisting of a short amino acid sequence from the adenovirus hexon capsid protein bound to a Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecule. This complex is expressed on the surface of cells infected with Human Adenovirus (HAdV) and serves as a critical recognition signal for the adaptive immune system (Leen et al., 2006). HLA Class I complexes present these peptides to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, while HLA Class II complexes present them to CD4+ helper T cells, facilitating a coordinated antiviral response (Feuchtinger et al., 2008). In the context of therapeutic development, this complex is the primary target for viral-specific T-cell (VST) therapies, such as Posoleucel, which are designed to treat or prevent severe adenovirus infections in immunocompromised patients, such as those following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AlloVir, 2023). The interaction between the T-cell receptor (TCR) and the hexon-pMHC complex triggers T-cell activation, leading to the targeted destruction of infected cells and the reduction of viral load (Papadopoulou et al., 2014). Because the hexon protein contains highly conserved regions across different adenovirus serotypes, these pMHC complexes are ideal targets for broad-spectrum antiviral immunotherapies (Zandvliet et al., 2010).

Other names

Adenovirus hexon epitopeHAdV hexon-derived peptide-MHC complexAdenovirus capsid protein hexon-HLA complexHexon-specific pMHC

Recognition of the peptide-HLA complex by specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) on CD8+ or CD4+ T cells, triggering the release of cytotoxic granules (perforin/granzyme) or cytokines (IFN-gamma) to eliminate infected cells.