Adenovirus Penton-derived peptide–HLA class I complex (Adv Penton-HLA-I)

The Adenovirus Penton-derived peptide–HLA class I complex is a molecular assembly found on the surface of cells infected with human adenovirus. It consists of a short peptide fragment, typically 8-11 amino acids long, derived from the viral Penton base protein (a major capsid component), which is non-covalently bound within the peptide-binding groove of a Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class I molecule (PubMed: 15140982). This complex is a primary target for the host's cellular immune system, specifically CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which recognize the pMHC through their T-cell receptors (TCRs) (UniProt: P03277). In therapeutic contexts, this complex is utilized as a target for adoptive immunotherapy, such as virus-specific T-cell (VST) transfers, to treat life-threatening adenovirus infections in immunocompromised patients, such as those following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (PubMed: 21633063). The specificity of the interaction between the TCR and the Penton-HLA complex ensures that only infected cells are targeted for destruction, minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Current clinical developments include the use of multivalent VSTs like posoleucel that target this and other viral complexes (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04353791).

Other names

Adenovirus Penton base epitope-HLA complexAdv Penton-MHC class I complexAdenovirus Penton-HLA complexAdenovirus Penton-HLA-A*02:01 complex

T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition of the peptide-HLA complex on infected cells, triggering the release of perforin and granzymes to induce apoptosis in the target cell (PubMed: 15140982).