The Elucidation of the Immunological Code.
Peptide Ligand Motifs of MHC Molecules.

In cooperation with cell biologists and immunologists, naturally processed peptides were isolated from a variety of MHC class I and II molecules. The allele-specific peptide sequence motifs were determined by pool sequencing and HPLC-MS. The results of these investigations are of crucial importance for the understanding of the cellular immune response and for deciphering the immunological code. On the basis of the sequence motifs determined, highly specific lipopeptide vaccines with CTL- and T-helper cell responses against several viruses and tumors have been developed. Furthermore, autoimmune diseases can be studied on a molecular level.

Publications:

1. Rötzschke, K. Falk, K. Deres, H. Schild, M. Noda, J. Metzger, G. Jung, and H.- G. Rammensee (1990).
Isolation and Analysis of Naturally Processed Viral Peptides as Recognized by Cytotoxic T Cells, Nature 348, 252-254.

2. K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, S. Stevanovic, G. Jung, and H.-G. Rammensee (1991).
Allele-Specific Motifs Revealed by Sequencing of Self-Peptides Eluted from MHC-Molecules, Nature 351, 290-296.

3. O. Rötzschke, K. Falk, S. Stevanovic, B. Grahovac, M. J. Soloski, G. Jung, and H.-G. Rammensee (1993).
Qa-2 Molecules are Peptide Receptors of Higher Stringency than Ordinary Class I Molecules, Nature 361, 642-644.

4. K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, B. Grahovac, D. Schendel, S. Stevanovic, V. Gnau, G. Jung, J.L. Strominger, and H.-G. Rammensee (1993).
Allele-Specific Peptide Ligand Motifs of HLA-C Molecules, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 90, 12005-12009.

5. N. Zimmermann, O. Rötzschke, K. Falk, D. Rognan, G. Folkers, H.-G. Rammensee, and G. Jung (1992).
Molecular Modelling of the Class I Human Histocompatibility Molecule HLA- A2 Presenting an Allele-Specific Nonapeptide from Influenza Matrix Proteiin, Angew. Chem. 104, 928-931; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 31, 886- 890.

6. K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, M. Takiguchi, B. Grahovac, V. Gnau, S. Stevanovic, G. Jung, and H.G. Rammensee (1994).
Peptide Motifs of HLA-A1, -A11, -A31, and -A3 Molecules, Immunogenetics 40, 238-241.

7. K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, S. Stevanovic, V. Gnau, K. Sparbier, G. Jung, H.-G. Rammensee, and P. Walden (1994).
Analysis of a Naturally Occuring MHC-Class I Restricted Viral Epitope, Immunol. 82, 337-342.

8. G. Malcherek, V. Gnau, S.Stevanovic, H.-G. Rammensee, G. Jung, and A.Melms (1994).
Analysis of Allele-Specific Contact Sites of Natural HLA-DR17 Ligands, J. Immunol. 153, 1141-1149.

9. K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, M. Takiguchi, V. Gnau, S. Stevanovic, G. Jung, and H.- G. Rammensee (1995).
Peptide Motifs of HLA-B51, -B52 and B-78 Molecules, and Implications for Behzets Disease, Int. Immunology 7, 223-228.

10. G. Malcherek, V. Gnau, G. Jung, H.-G. Rammensee, and A. Melms (1995).
Supermotifs Enable Natural Invariant Chain-Derived Peptides to Interact with Many Major Histocompatibility Complex-Class II Molecules, J. Exp. Med. 181, 527-536.

11. G. Niedermann, S. Butz, H.-G. Ihlenfeldt, R. Grimm, M. Lucchiari, H. Hoschützky, G. Jung, B. Maier, and K. Eichmann (1995).
Contribution of Proteasome Mediated Proteolysis to the Hierarchy of Epitopes Presented by MHC Class I, Immunity 2, 289-299.

12. K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, M. Takiguchi, V. Gnau, S. Stevanovic, G. Jung, and H.G. Rammensee (1995)
Peptide Motifs of HLA-B58, B60, B61, and B62 Molecules, Immunogenetics 41, 165-168.

13. K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, M. Takiguchi, V. Gnau, S. Stevanovic, G. Jung, and H.G. Rammensee (1995)
Peptide Motifs of HLA-B38 and B39 Molecules, Immunogenetics 41, 162-164.

14. A. Steinle, K. Falk, O. Rötzschke, V. Gnau, S. Stevanovic, G. Jung, D.J. Schendel, and H.-G. Rammensee (1996)
Motif of HLA-B * 3503 Peptide Ligands, Immunogenetics 43, 105-107.

15. R. Brock, K.-H. Wiesmüller, G. Jung, and P. Walden (1996)
Molecular Basis for the Recognition of Two Structurally Different Major Histocompatibility Complex/Peptide Complexes by a Single T Cell Receptor, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 13108-13113

16. T. Friede, V. Gnau, G. Jung, W. Keilholz, S. Stevanovic, and H.-G. Rammensee (1996)
Natural Ligand Motifs of Closely Related HLA-DR4 Molecules Predict Features of Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated Peptides, Biochim. Biophys. A. 1316, 85-101.

17. B. Fleckenstein, H. Kalbacher, C.P. Muller, D. Stoll, T. Halder, G. Jung, and K.-H. Wiesmüller (1996)
New Ligands Binding to the Human Leukocyte Antigen Class II Molecule DRB1 * Based on the Activity Pattern of an Undecapeptide Library, Eur. J. Biochem. 240, 71-77.

cojinfo@uni-tuebingen.de(cojinfo@uni-tuebingen.de) - July 23, 1997