Investigating MHC class I folding and trafficking with pulse-chase experiments

► Folding, peptide binding, and transport rates differ markedly between MHC class I allotypes. ► It is important to understand class I maturation and transport as a contribution to immunodominance. ► Pulse-chase experiments in principle offer much information on folding, maturation, and ER-Golgi transport of class I. ► The review demonstrates their potential and advises how to avoid common pitfalls.