Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41295949›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of experimental medicine2026

The antigen-presenting molecule MR1 binds host-generated riboflavin catabolites.

Mohamed R Abdelaal, Jieru Deng, Mitchell P McInerney, Emi Ito, Anthony W Purcell, Sho Yamasaki, Jose A Villadangos, Hamish E G McWilliam, Nicholas A Gherardin, Jamie Rossjohn and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of experimental medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Anaerobic riboflavin degradation by human gutJournal of bacteriology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Anaerobic riboflavin degradation by human gutbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Mohamed R AbdelaalInfection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9804-1510
Jieru DengDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7786-4961
Mitchell P McInerneyInfection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0009-0001-1411-3650
Emi ItoDepartment of Molecular Immunology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.ORCID 0009-0001-0785-0679
Anthony W PurcellInfection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0532-8331
Sho YamasakiDepartment of Molecular Immunology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-5184-6917
Jose A VilladangosDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6771-8891
Hamish E G McWilliamDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3479-3419
Nicholas A Gherardin *Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4690-2571
Jamie Rossjohn *Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2020-7522
Wael Awad *Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7597-2133

Funding

Investigating the basis of MAIT cell antigen potencyR01AI148407 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE · PI MCCLUSKEY, JAMES · 2020 to 2024
$2.7M
Australian Research Council DE220101491Australian Research Council DP250102065Cardiff UniversityMonash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health SciencesNational Health and Medical Research Council 2008981National Health and Medical Research Council 2016596National Health and Medical Research Council 2016969National Health and Medical Research Council 2027058NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI148407NIH HHS RO1 AI148407-01A1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

MHC class I-related protein (MR1) presents vitamin B-based antigens (Ags) to mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. While microbial riboflavin (RF) precursors are well-documented MR1 ligands, it is unclear whether host-generated RF catabolites influence MR1 immunity. Here, we report that RF catabolites, including 10-formylmethylflavin (FMF), lumichrome, lumiflavin, and alloxazine, bind to MR1 with moderate affinity, while RF itself binds weakly. In contrast to the MR1-upregulating microbial RF precursors, RF catabolites reduced the surface level of MR1 by inducing its retention in the endoplasmic reticulum and inhibiting exit. These RF catabolites weakly competed with vitamin B-based Ags for MR1 binding, thereby selectively inhibiting MAIT activation. The crystal structures of MR1 with RF, FMF, lumiflavin, and lumichrome show binding in the A'-pocket of MR1. Here, lumichrome formed a "flavin bond" covalent interaction with MR1-Lys43 differing from the typical Schiff base. Collectively, we identified three-ringed isoalloxazines that bind MR1 and reduce surface levels, suggesting a potential role in dampening MAIT cell immunity.

Indexed as

Antigen PresentationHistocompatibility Antigens Class IMinor Histocompatibility AntigensRiboflavinEndoplasmic ReticulumFlavinsHumansMucosal-Associated Invariant T CellsProtein BindingFlavinsHistocompatibility Antigens Class IMinor Histocompatibility AntigensMR1 protein, humanRiboflavin

Identifiers

PMID41295949
PMCPMC12650265

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.