Immunogenic peptides require an undisturbed phospholipid cell membrane environment and must be amphipathic to immobilize Ia on B cells

Ia-reactive immunogenic peptides have been shown to immobilize Ia molecules on the B cell surface and to facilitate their aggregation with specific alloantibody. We show that to immobilize Ia the peptide must be amphipathic. Polar peptides appear to bind to Ia molecules as judged by competitive inhibition, but do not immobilize the MHC molecule. This suggests the possibility that peptides establish the immobilizing membrane contact via a lipophilic group. Examining the B cell membrane lipid environment, we found that treatment of B cells with phospholipase C prevents peptide-mediated immobilization of Ia. The requirement of a lipophilic peptide portion as well as of phospholipase-sensitive membrane components for effective peptide-mediated Ia aggregation on B cell membranes suggests a role for membrane phospholipids in this process. We advance the speculation that immunodominant amphipathic peptides immobilize Ia molecules by attaching them to cell surface phospholipids which we tentatively refer to as immobilizing phospholipids.