Cytomegalovirus-derived peptide–Human Leukocyte Antigen complex (CMV peptide–HLA complex)

Cytomegalovirus-derived peptide–Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) complexes are molecular structures formed by the association of viral protein fragments with host MHC molecules on the cell surface (Janeway et al., Immunobiology, 2001). These complexes serve as the primary signal for the adaptive immune system, specifically T cells, to identify and destroy cells infected with Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV). While the tegument protein pp65 and the immediate-early protein IE1 are the most frequently targeted antigens, other complexes involve peptides derived from a wide array of CMV proteins such as pp150 (UL32), gB (UL55), and various US/UL gene products (Stern-Ginossar et al., Science, 2012). In clinical settings, these complexes are the targets of adoptive T-cell therapies, such as Posoleucel, and vaccines designed to restore or enhance CMV-specific immunity in immunocompromised individuals (Leen et al., Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 2013). The therapeutic efficacy depends on the specific HLA restriction of the patient and the immunogenicity of the presented viral peptide (Bollard & Heslop, Blood, 2016).

Other names

CMV-HLA complexCMV peptide-MHC complexCytomegalovirus antigen-HLA complexCMV-specific pMHCCMV-derived peptide-MHCCMV-HLA class I/II complex

Recognition of the peptide-HLA complex by the T-cell receptor (TCR) on CD8+ or CD4+ T cells, triggering cellular activation, cytokine release, and direct lysis of CMV-infected cells (Bollard & Heslop, Blood, 2016).