Diverse T Cell Receptor Gene Usage in HLA-DQ8-Associated Celiac Disease Converges into a Consensus Binding Solution

In HLA-DQ8-associated celiac disease, TRAV26-2+-TRBV9+ and TRAV8-3+-TRBV6+ T cells recognize the immunodominant DQ8-glia-α1 epitope, whereupon a non-germline-encoded arginine residue played a key role in binding HLA-DQ8-glia-α1. Whether distinct T cell receptor (TCR) recognition modes exist for gliadin epitopes remains unclear. TCR repertoire analysis revealed populations of HLA-DQ8-glia-α1 and HLA-DQ8.5-glia-γ1 restricted TRAV20+-TRBV9+ T cells that did not possess a non-germline-encoded arginine residue. The crystal structures of a TRAV20+-TRBV9+ TCR-HLA-DQ8-glia-α1 complex and two TRAV20+-TRBV9+ TCR-HLA-DQ8.5-glia-γ1 complexes were determined. This revealed that the differential specificity toward DQ8-glia-α1 and DQ8.5-glia-γ1 was governed by CDR3β-loop-mediated interactions. Surprisingly, a germline-encoded arginine residue within the CDR1α loop of the TRAV20+ TCR substituted for the role of the non-germline-encoded arginine in the TRAV26-2+-TRBV9+ and TRAV8-3+-TRBV6+ TCRs. Thus, in celiac disease, the responding TCR repertoire is driven by a common mechanism that selects for structural elements within the TCR that have convergent binding solutions in HLA-DQ8-gliadin recognition. [Display omitted] •Structural basis of differential peptide repertoire determined for HLA-DQ8 and -DQ8.5•Structural basis for TCR specificity revealed for two immunodominant gliadin epitopes•Germline-encoded residue substitutes for frequently selected non-germline elements•Evidence of a common mechanism for T cell antigen recognition in celiac disease Petersen et al. demonstrate that despite diverse TCR gene usage, antigenic epitope variability, and differential HLA restriction, pathogenic T cells in celiac disease bear TCRs that use convergent structural elements for HLA-antigen recognition.