Mutation of Cys-67 Alters the Thermodynamic Stability of the Human Leukocyte Antigen HLA-B*2705*

Abstract The B pocket of the class I major histocompatibility complex-encoded protein HLA-B*2705 has recently been suggested to be responsible for the misfolding of this HLA haplotype and thus to induce susceptibility to autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Four mutants of the B*2705 heavy chain were refolded in the presence of three control peptides. The monitoring of the thermal unfolding of the B*2705-peptide complexes by circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that all heterotrimeric mutants were markedly less stable than the corresponding complexes with the wild-type heavy chain. Among the four heavy chain mutations, the C67S change was investigated for unfolding and peptide binding properties because this position may mediate disulfide pair bridging and alter T-cell recognition of HLA-B*2705. Wild-type heterotrimers completely unfold in a single transition at mild acidic pH whereas increase of the pH to mild basic conditions induce only a partial biphasic unfolding. Cys-67 seems to play a crucial role in controlling the thermodynamic stability of the B*2705-peptide complexes as the C67S mutant unfolds faster and with a single transition, independent of pH. Fluorescence polarization and size exclusion chromatography of unfolding intermediates suggest that the peculiar unfolding of the B*2705 wild-type heavy chain cannot be explained by modified peptide binding properties but more likely by the formation of high molecular weight species.