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Updated: May 22, 2026

A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins
Published on: March 22, 2012
Initiation of TCR phosphorylation and signal transduction
Nicholas R J Gascoigne1, Javier Casas, Joanna Brzostek
1Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, CA, USA. gascoigne@scripps.edu
Abstract:
Recent data with CD8+ T cells show that the initial phase of T cell receptor (TCR) binding to MHC-peptide (MHCp) is quickly followed by a second, stronger, binding phase representing the binding of CD8 to the MHCp. This second phase requires signaling by a Src-family kinase such as Lck. These data point out two aspects of the initial stage of TCR signaling that have not yet been clearly resolved. Firstly, how and by which Src-family kinase, is the initial phosphorylation of CD3ζ accomplished, given that the Lck associated with the co-receptors (CD4 or CD8) is not yet available. Secondly, what is the mechanism by which the co-receptor is brought close to the bound TCR before the co-receptor binds to MHCp?
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