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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.
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Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist
07:48

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Published on: April 25, 2018

T cell receptor triggering by force.

Zhengyu Ma1, Terri H Finkel

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. maz@email.chop.edu <maz@email.chop.edu>

Trends in Immunology
|October 20, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mechanical forces on T cell receptors (TCRs) trigger immune responses. Our receptor deformation model explains how TCR conformational changes initiate signaling, clarifying T cell activation, specificity, and sensitivity.

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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

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09:28

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Fluorescence Biomembrane Force Probe: Concurrent Quantitation of Receptor-ligand Kinetics and Binding-induced Intracellular Signaling on a Single Cell
14:09

Fluorescence Biomembrane Force Probe: Concurrent Quantitation of Receptor-ligand Kinetics and Binding-induced Intracellular Signaling on a Single Cell

Published on: August 4, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Biophysics
  • Cellular signaling

Background:

  • T cell activation is initiated by T cell receptor (TCR) interaction with peptide-MHC (pMHC) complexes.
  • The precise mechanism by which this interaction triggers downstream signaling remains incompletely understood.
  • Mechanical forces at the T cell-antigen presenting cell interface are known to influence molecular interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel model for T cell receptor (TCR) triggering.
  • To elucidate the role of mechanical forces in TCR signaling.
  • To explain the fundamental aspects of TCR triggering: mechanism, specificity, and sensitivity.

Main Methods:

  • Development of the receptor deformation model for TCR triggering.
  • Theoretical analysis of mechanical stress on the TCR-pMHC interaction.
  • Integration of biophysical principles with immunological signaling pathways.

Main Results:

  • The receptor deformation model posits that mechanical forces induce conformational changes in the TCR.
  • These TCR conformational changes are proposed as the initiating event for TCR signaling.
  • The model successfully accounts for the mechanism, specificity, and sensitivity of TCR triggering.

Conclusions:

  • Mechanical forces play a critical role in initiating T cell receptor signaling.
  • The receptor deformation model provides a unified explanation for TCR triggering.
  • This model offers new insights into T cell activation and immune response initiation.