ABSTRACT
Purified MHC molecules are reconstituted into liposomes by mixing them with detergent solubilized lipids and removing the detergent from the mixed micelle preparation by dialysis. Since the components in question are membrane proteins or proteins that act on cell membranes, subcellular fragments and artificial membrane structures like liposomes have emerged as indispensable tools in the field. Consequently, understanding the factors that stimulate or inhibit the immunological effector system is crucial for designing strategies against infections by such microorganisms. For biophysical studies on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, planar membranes offer advantages over liposomes in that the proteins are distributed on a planar surface with defined dimensions. T cells recognize protein antigens as short peptides complexed with cell surface molecules that are encoded in the MHC. These cells proliferate when they meet antigen, collaborate with other lymphocytes like B or cytolytic T cells, and thereby induce effective immune responses.
