Class Ib major histocompatibility complex (MHC) immunoglobulin domain of Qa-2; member of the C1-set of Ig superfamily (IgSF) domains
The members here are composed of the Class Ib major histocompatibility complex (MHC) immunoglobulin domain of QA-2. Qa-2 is a nonclassical MHC Ib antigen, which has been implicated in both innate and adaptive immune responses, as well as embryonic development. Qa-2 has an unusual peptide binding specificity in that it requires two dominant C-terminal anchor residues and is capable of associating with a substantially more diverse array of peptide sequences than other nonclassical MHC. Class I MHC proteins bind antigenic peptide fragments and present them to CD8+ T lymphocytes. Class I molecules consist of a transmembrane alpha chain and a small chain called the beta-2-microglobulin. The alpha chain contains three extracellular domains, two of which fold together to form the peptide-binding cleft (alpha1 and alpha2), and one which has an Ig fold (alpha3). Peptide binding to class I molecules occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and involves both chaperones and dedicated factors to assist in peptide loading. Class I MHC molecules are expressed on most nucleated cells.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",