Final answer:
The assembly and loading of peptides with MHC class I molecules occur in the c. endoplasmic reticulum of the cell, following the initial processing of intracellular antigens in the cytosol.
Step-by-step explanation:
From our discussion in class about the assembly and loading of peptide with MHC class I, you would expect this overall process to be occurring within the c. endoplasmic reticulum of the cell.
Intracellular antigens, which are typical of viruses and certain other intracellular parasites and bacteria, are processed in the cytosol by an enzyme complex known as the proteasome.
Following this, they are brought into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) system.
Inside the ER, they interact with MHC class I molecules.
The formed MHC class I-peptide complexes are then transported to the cell surface by a transport vesicle, making them available for antigen recognition by T cells.