Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Rudolph, Markus G.
• Stanfield, Robyn L.
• Wilson, Ian A.

Titel

Chapter 9 - T Cell Receptor/pMHC Complexes

Ist Teil von

• Handbook of Cell Signaling, 2009, p.55-62

Auflage

Second Edition

Ort / Verlag

Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2009

Link zum Volltext

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• T cells bearing clonotypic T cell receptors (TCRs) are generated from a pool of naïve progenitor cells by a two-stage process of positive and negative selection. TCRs are heterodimeric cell-surface glycoproteins that consist of disulfide-linked α and β or γ and δ chains and have a domain organization similar to antibodies. The evolution of a common docking mode that enables the αβTCR to survey the contents of the MHC binding groove is remarkable. No absolutely conserved pairs of interactions are apparent in these different TCR/pMHC complex interfaces that would account for their relatively fixed docking orientations, although some suggestions of key contacts have been made for some alleles and MHC molecules. The variability in the tilt, twist, and roll of the TCR indicates that the docking problem is solved slightly differently in each case to provide sufficient complementarity for binding. However, the lack of the membrane-anchoring domains in the constructs used for the current structure determinations will remain a problem until intact membrane proteins can be routinely crystallized. Future studies will also reveal how bulky ligands, such as bulged peptides, glycopeptides, or glycolipids in the case of CD1 can be accommodated in the TCR/pMHC interface.