Epstein-Barr virus peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex class I complex (EBV pMHC-I)

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I complex is a molecular assembly presented on the surface of EBV-infected or malignant cells (Young et al., 2016, Nature Reviews Cancer). It consists of a viral protein fragment, such as those derived from LMP1, LMP2, or EBNA proteins, bound within the groove of an MHC class I molecule (HLA-A, B, or C) (Haque et al., 2007, Lancet Oncology). This complex serves as the primary recognition signal for the T-cell receptor (TCR) of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which are essential for controlling EBV infection and eliminating EBV-positive tumor cells (Taylor et al., 2015, Nature Reviews Immunology). In EBV-associated malignancies like nasopharyngeal carcinoma and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), these complexes are targeted by novel immunotherapies (Prockop et al., 2020, JCI). Therapeutic strategies include the use of EBV-specific T cells (e.g., tabelecleucel) and engineered TCR-T cells that specifically bind these viral epitopes to induce targeted cell death while minimizing damage to healthy tissues (EMA, 2022). The specificity of these therapies relies on the unique presentation of viral peptides that are absent in normal, non-infected cells.

Other names

EBV peptide-HLA complexEBV-specific pMHCEBV-HLA class I complexEBV-antigen-MHC-I complexEBV-specific peptide-MHC complex

Recognition and binding by T-cell receptors (TCRs) on CD8+ T cells, leading to the release of perforins and granzymes and subsequent apoptosis of the target cell (StatPearls, 2023).