A SIINFEKL-Based System to Measure MHC Class I Antigen Presentation Efficiency and Kinetics

Antigen presentation by classical MHC class I molecules to CD8+ T cells is a central aspect of the adaptive immune response. Here, we describe methods to monitor antigen presentation using the model ovalbumin Kb-binding peptide, SIINFEKL. SIINFEKL genetically incorporated into viral or cellular source proteins can be used to precisely probe various aspects of antigen presentation, including the kinetics of peptide generation, MHC class I surface stability, and presentation efficiency following pharmacological and genetic manipulations including genome wide and high throughput drug screening.