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Related Concept Videos

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...
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 Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
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.
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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Thymus engraftment and developmental progression of adoptively transferred progenitor T cells are affected by host conditioning.

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Peptide:MHC Tetramer-based Enrichment of Epitope-specific T cells
13:58

Peptide:MHC Tetramer-based Enrichment of Epitope-specific T cells

Published on: October 22, 2012

Self-peptides in TCR repertoire selection and peripheral T cell function.

Wan-Lin Lo1, Paul M Allen

  • 1Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, Box 8118, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.

Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology
|April 25, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Self-peptides in thymic selection critically shape T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire specificity. Thymic positive selection lifelong imprints T cells, influencing their peripheral function and self-tolerance.

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Vertebrate antigen receptors exhibit vast diversity, assembled via V(D)J recombination.
  • Antigen receptor generation involves randomness, necessitating quality control to ensure self-tolerance and foreign antigen recognition.
  • T cell receptor (TCR) quality control is primarily managed by thymic positive and negative selection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of self-peptides in generating the T cell repertoire.
  • To discuss how thymic T cell development shapes TCR repertoire specificity.
  • To explore the influence of thymic selection on mature T cell function in the periphery.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on V(D)J recombination and thymic selection processes.
  • Analysis of the impact of self-peptides on T cell repertoire development.
  • Discussion of the lifelong effects of thymic positive selection on T cell function.

Main Results:

  • Self-peptides are crucial for generating a functional and self-tolerant T cell repertoire.
  • Thymic positive selection is a continuous process that imprints T cells throughout their development.
  • This imprinting dictates the specificity and functional fitness of mature T cells.

Conclusions:

  • Thymic selection, particularly positive selection involving self-peptides, is vital for establishing a functional T cell repertoire.
  • The process ensures T cells recognize foreign antigens while tolerating self-antigens.
  • Thymic selection's influence extends beyond maturation, continuously shaping T cell function in the periphery.