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Related Concept Videos

Antibody Structure01:10

Antibody Structure

Overview
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are essential players of the adaptive immune system. These antigen-binding proteins are produced by B cells and make up 20 percent of the total blood plasma by weight. In mammals, antibodies fall into five different classes, which each elicits a different biological response upon antigen binding.
The Y-Shaped Structure of Antibodies Consists of Four Polypeptide Chains
Antibodies consist of four polypeptide chains: two identical heavy...
Antibody Structure01:10

Antibody Structure

Overview
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are essential players of the adaptive immune system. These antigen-binding proteins are produced by B cells and make up 20 percent of the total blood plasma by weight. In mammals, antibodies fall into five different classes, which each elicits a different biological response upon antigen binding.
The Y-Shaped Structure of Antibodies Consists of Four Polypeptide Chains
Antibodies consist of four polypeptide chains: two identical heavy...
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
Diversity of Antigen Receptors01:28

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins
16:10

A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins

Published on: March 22, 2012

How the T cell receptor sees antigen--a structural view.

K Christopher Garcia1, Erin J Adams

  • 1Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA. kcgarcia@stanford.edu

Cell
|August 13, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Structural studies reveal T cell receptor interactions with peptide-MHC ligands, offering a general docking model. However, fundamental questions in T cell antigen recognition remain, presenting future research challenges.

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Visualizing Surface T-Cell Receptor Dynamics Four-Dimensionally Using Lattice Light-Sheet Microscopy

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cell surface receptor-ligand complexes are crucial for T cell-mediated immunity.
  • Understanding these interactions is key to deciphering immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structural insights gained into T cell receptor (TCR) and peptide-MHC ligand interactions.
  • To identify remaining fundamental structural questions in T cell antigen recognition.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of published structural data on T cell receptor-ligand complexes.
  • Review of key findings in the field over the past decade.

Main Results:

  • Structural determination of numerous T cell receptor-ligand complexes has been achieved.
  • A general 'docking' model for TCR-peptide-MHC interactions has emerged from these structures.

Conclusions:

  • While progress has been made, fundamental structural questions regarding T cell antigen recognition persist.
  • These unresolved questions highlight exciting future experimental directions in immunology.