Immunological events underlying the induction of T cell non-responsiveness

T lymphocytes recognise antigen in the form of short peptides complexed with the class I and II products of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC). Cellular activation follows T cell recognition of peptide-MHC complexes at immunogenic cell surface concentrations together with the participation of the appropriate costimulatory signals. Interaction of TCRs and peptide-MHC complexes under inappropriate conditions may result in antigen-specific non-responsiveness, commonly referred to as anergy. Here we review some recent model systems which have been employed to study the phenomenon of anergy and the use of peptides to induce antigen-specific non-responsiveness both in vitro and in vivo.