Competition for antigen presentation in living cells involves exchange of peptides bound by class II MHC molecules

T cells recognize foreign proteins as peptides bound to self molecules encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The kinetics of interaction between purified class II MHC molecules and peptides is unusual, in that the rate of association is very slow, but once formed, the complexes are extremely stable. This raises the question of how the antigen-presenting cell provides a sufficient number of free MHC binding sites to ensure T cell immunity. We present results suggesting that an exchange of peptide in MHC binding sites may take place under physiological conditions.