Endocytosis and intracellular sorting machinery for molecules involved in MHC-II antigen-presentation

The aim of this three-year project is to better understand the mechanisms of intracellular sorting molecules important for antigen processing and presentation in normal and polarized cells. We will use a molecular biology approach to characterize interact ions of the sorting signals of moelcules as MHC-II, the invariant chain (Ii), CD 1d, and limp II with elements of the intracellular sorting machinery. Confocal microscopy of live cells will be used to visualize the intracellular sorting events, in particu lar endocytosis and endosome biogenesis. Polarized cells grown on filters will be used to study basolateral antigen presentation in such cells. By the end of the period, we hope to be able to answer most of the following questions: 1) What are the sequenc e requirements for interactions between protein sorting signals and various elements of the intracellular sorting machinery, and what are the minimum requirements for such interactions in Ii -limp II - MHCII and CD 1d? 2) What are t