Introduction of exogenous antigens into the MHC class I processing and presentation pathway by Drosophila antennapedia homeodomain primes cytotoxic T cells in vivo

The homeodomain of the Antennapedia molecule (AntpHD) spontaneously crosses cellular membranes and can be used to deliver up to 50 additional amino acids to the cytoplasm. We exploited this approach to deliver antigenic peptides to the MHC class I processing and presentation pathway. AntpHD-based fusion peptides expressing the 170-179 HLA-Cw3 CTL epitope (pCw3) were produced in bacteria. Incubation of these fusion peptides with H-2d target cells resulted in efficient delivery to the cytosol as indicated by protease resistance and confocal microscopy. Moreover, this introduction of an exogenous Ag resulted in sensitization of the cell to lysis by a CTL clone specific for the 170-179 HLA-Cw3-derived peptide. Sensitivity of the Ag processing to brefeldin A but not to chloroquine is consistent with the delivery of AntpHD fusion peptides to the conventional class I-associated processing pathway. Immunization of DBA/2 (H-2d) mice with AntpHD pCw3 fusion peptide in the presence of SDS primed H-2Kd-restricted HLA-Cw3-specific CTL. Similar results were obtained with AntpHD fusion peptides expressing the 147-156 influenza nucleoprotein peptide. The strategy outlined in this paper provides a new approach for introducing molecules into the MHC class I Ag-presenting pathway. This approach has clear relevance to the design of synthetic peptide-based vaccines.