Adenovirus penton base peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex (AdV Penton pMHC) (AdV Penton pMHC)

Adenovirus penton base peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex (pMHC) complexes are molecular assemblies displayed on the surface of cells infected with adenovirus. The penton base is a key structural protein of the adenovirus capsid (UniProt P03276) that is processed into immunogenic peptides by the host cell's intracellular machinery. These peptides are subsequently presented by MHC Class I molecules to be recognized by the T-cell receptors of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (PubMed: 15248730). This recognition is a fundamental step in the adaptive immune response, signaling the immune system to destroy the infected cell and limit viral replication. In therapeutic contexts, these pMHC complexes are the primary targets for virus-specific T-cell (VST) therapies, such as posoleucel, which are used to treat severe adenovirus infections in immunocompromised patients (PubMed: 33003033). Targeting these complexes allows for highly specific elimination of infected cells while sparing healthy tissue, although the efficacy is dependent on the patient's specific HLA type.

Other names

Adenovirus penton base pMHCAdV penton-derived peptide-HLA complexesMHC-presented adenovirus penton peptidesAdenovirus penton base antigenAdV penton pMHC

Recognition of the peptide-MHC complex by specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) on cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which triggers the release of perforin and granzymes to induce apoptosis in the adenovirus-infected cell (PubMed: 16491167).