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J. Cell Biol.,
Volume 139, Number 3, November 3, 1997 639-649

§
* Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, The
Netherlands; and In most human and mouse antigen-presenting cells, the majority of intracellular major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules resides in
late endocytic MHC class II compartments (MIICs),
thought to function in antigen processing and peptide loading. However, in mouse A20 B cells, early endocytic class II-containing vesicles (CIIVs) have been
reported to contain most of the intracellular MHC class
II molecules and have also been implicated in formation of MHC class II-peptide complexes. To address
this discrepancy, we have studied in great detail the endocytic pathways of both a human (6H5.DM) and a
mouse (A20.Ab) B cell line. Using quantitative immunoelectron microscopy on cryosections of cells that had
been pulse-chased with transferrin-HRP or BSA-gold
as endocytic tracers, we have identified up to six endocytic subcompartments including an early MIIC type
enriched in invariant chain, suggesting that it serves as
an important entrance to the endocytic pathway for
newly synthesized MHC class II/invariant chain complexes. In addition, early MIICs represented the earliest endocytic compartment containing MHC class II-
peptide complexes, as shown by using an antibody
against an abundant endogenous class II-peptide complex. The early MIIC exhibited several though not all of
the characteristics reported for the CIIV and was situated just downstream of early endosomes. We have not
encountered any special class II-containing endocytic
structures besides those normally present in nonantigen-presenting cells. Our results therefore suggest that
B cells use conventional endocytic compartments
rather than having developed a unique compartment to
accomplish MHC class II presentation.
Department of Immunology and § Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, School of
Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98105
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