The T Cell Receptor
10.1126/science.3317824
Crossref journal-article
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Science (221)
Abstract

The primary structure of T cell receptor proteins and genes is well understood. Immunologists are now trying to understand the properties of these interesting molecules. Evidence suggests that T cell αβ receptors recognize a complex of an antigen-derived peptide bound to one of the cell-surface products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. It is likely that αβ receptors and MHC proteins have coevolved to have some affinity for each other. During T cell development in the thymus, cells bearing self-reactive receptors are deleted by the mechanisms of tolerance, and cells are preferentially allowed to mature if they bear receptors that will be able to recognize antigen plus self-MHC after they have become full-fledged T cells. Some explanations for these phenomena have been tested, but no satisfactory theory can yet be proposed to account for them.

Bibliography

Marrack, P., & Kappler, J. (1987). The T Cell Receptor. Science, 238(4830), 1073–1079.

Authors 2
  1. Philippa Marrack (first)
  2. John Kappler (additional)
References 66 Referenced 350
  1. ALLISON, J.P., TUMOR-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN OF MURINE T-LYMPHOMA DEFINED WITH MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY, JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 129: 2293 (1982). (10.4049/jimmunol.129.5.2293) / JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (1982)
  2. 10.1126/science.2426778
  3. AMZEL, L.M., PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 71: 1427 (1974). / PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1974)
  4. ARDEN, B, DIVERSITY AND STRUCTURE OF GENES OF THE ALPHA-FAMILY OF MOUSE T-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTOR, NATURE 316: 783 (1985). (10.1038/316783a0) / NATURE (1985)
  5. BABBITT, B.P., BINDING OF IMMUNOGENIC PEPTIDES TO IA HISTOCOMPATIBILITY MOLECULES, NATURE 317: 359 (1985). (10.1038/317359a0) / NATURE (1985)
  6. BANK, I, PERTURBATION OF THE T4 MOLECULE TRANSMITS A NEGATIVE SIGNAL TO T-CELLS, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 162: 1294 (1985). (10.1084/jem.162.4.1294) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1985)
  7. BANK, I, A FUNCTIONAL T3 MOLECULE ASSOCIATED WITH A NOVEL HETERODIMER ON THE SURFACE OF IMMATURE HUMAN THYMOCYTES, NATURE 322: 179 (1986). (10.1038/322179a0) / NATURE (1986)
  8. Becker, D. M., Nature 317:430 (1985). (10.1038/317430a0) / Nature (1985)
  9. 10.1126/science.3875151
  10. BEKOFF, M, ACCESSORY CELL-FUNCTION IN THE CON A RESPONSE - ROLE OF IA-POSITIVE AND IA-NEGATIVE ACCESSORY CELLS, JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 134: 1337 (1985). (10.4049/jimmunol.134.3.1337) / JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (1985)
  11. BIDDISON, W.E., POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF THE OKT4 MOLECULE IN T-CELL RECOGNITION OF CLASS-II HLA ANTIGENS - EVIDENCE FROM STUDIES OF CYTO-TOXIC LYMPHOCYTES-T SPECIFIC FOR SB ANTIGENS, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 156: 1065 (1982). (10.1084/jem.156.4.1065) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1982)
  12. BJORKMAN, P.J., STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN CLASS-I HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGEN, HLA-A2, NATURE 329: 506 (1987). (10.1038/329506a0) / NATURE (1987)
  13. BJORKMAN, P.J., THE FOREIGN ANTIGEN-BINDING SITE AND T-CELL RECOGNITION REGIONS OF CLASS-I HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS, NATURE 329: 512 (1987). (10.1038/329512a0) / NATURE (1987)
  14. BLACKMAN, M, THE T-CELL REPERTOIRE MAY BE BIASED IN FAVOR OF MHC RECOGNITION, CELL 47: 349 (1986). (10.1016/0092-8674(86)90591-X) / CELL (1986)
  15. 10.1038/326082a0
  16. BORN, W, REARRANGEMENT OF T-CELL RECEPTOR BETA-CHAIN GENES DURING T-CELL DEVELOPMENT, PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 82: 2925 (1985). / PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1985)
  17. BRENNER, M.B., IDENTIFICATION OF A PUTATIVE 2ND T-CELL RECEPTOR, NATURE 322: 145 (1986). (10.1038/322145a0) / NATURE (1986)
  18. BUUS, S, INTERACTION BETWEEN A PROCESSED OVALBUMIN PEPTIDE AND IA MOLECULES, PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 83: 3968 (1986). / PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1986)
  19. CHIEN, Y.H., A NEW T-CELL RECEPTOR GENE LOCATED WITHIN THE ALPHA-LOCUS AND EXPRESSED EARLY IN T-CELL DIFFERENTIATION, NATURE 327: 677 (1987). (10.1038/327677a0) / NATURE (1987)
  20. COLMAN, P.M., 3-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF A COMPLEX OF ANTIBODY WITH INFLUENZA-VIRUS NEURAMINIDASE, NATURE 326: 358 (1987). (10.1038/326358a0) / NATURE (1987)
  21. CONCANNON, P, HUMAN T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA GENE POLYMORPHISM, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 165: 1130 (1987). (10.1084/jem.165.4.1130) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1987)
  22. Dembic, Z., Nature 320:232 (1986). (10.1038/320232a0) / Nature (1986)
  23. FARR, A.G., EXPRESSION OF ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC, MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX-RESTRICTED RECEPTORS BY CORTICAL AND MEDULLARY THYMOCYTES INSITU, CELL 43: 543 (1985). (10.1016/0092-8674(85)90183-7) / CELL (1985)
  24. FINK, P, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 148: 766 (1978). (10.1084/jem.148.3.766) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1978)
  25. FINK, P.J., CORRELATIONS BETWEEN T-CELL SPECIFICITY AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE ANTIGEN RECEPTOR, NATURE 321: 219 (1986). (10.1038/321219a0) / NATURE (1986)
  26. 10.1084/jem.162.3.802
  27. GERMAN, R.D., CELL 45: 733 (1986). (10.1016/0092-8674(86)90787-7) / CELL (1986)
  28. GREENSTEIN, J.L., THE ROLE OF L3T4 IN RECOGNITION OF IA BY A CYTO-TOXIC, H-2DD-SPECIFIC T-CELL HYBRIDOMA, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 159: 1213 (1984). (10.1084/jem.159.4.1213) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1984)
  29. HASKINS, K, THE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX-RESTRICTED ANTIGEN RECEPTOR ON T-CELLS .1. ISOLATION WITH A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 157: 1149 (1983). (10.1084/jem.157.4.1149) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1983)
  30. HEILIG, J.S., DIVERSITY OF MURINE GAMMA GENES AND EXPRESSION IN FETAL AND ADULT LYMPHOCYTES-T, NATURE 322: 836 (1986). (10.1038/322836a0) / NATURE (1986)
  31. 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90133-3
  32. IWAMOTO, A, T-CELL RECEPTOR VARIABLE GENE USAGE IN A SPECIFIC CYTOTOXIC T-CELL RESPONSE - PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF THE ANTIGEN-MHC RECEPTOR OF 4 HAPTEN-SPECIFIC CYTOTOXIC T-CELL CLONES, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 165: 591 (1987). (10.1084/jem.165.3.591) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1987)
  33. 10.1097/00007890-198503000-00030
  34. JERNE, N.K., EUR J IMMUNOL 1: 1 (1971). (10.1002/eji.1830010102) / EUR J IMMUNOL (1971)
  35. 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90568-X
  36. Kappler, J. W., Cell 49: 263 (1987). (10.1016/0092-8674(87)90567-8) / Cell (1987)
  37. 10.1084/jem.138.5.1194
  38. KINDRED, B, H-2 DEPENDENCE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN T AND B CELLS IN-VIVO, JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 109: 940 (1972). (10.4049/jimmunol.109.5.940) / JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (1972)
  39. KRANZ, D.M., LIMITED DIVERSITY OF THE REARRANGED T-CELL GAMMA-GENE, NATURE 313: 752 (1985). (10.1038/313752a0) / NATURE (1985)
  40. 10.1084/jem.165.4.1076
  41. LO, D, INDUCTION OF MHC-RESTRICTED SPECIFICITY AND TOLERANCE IN THE THYMUS, IMMUNOLOGIC RESEARCH 5: 221 (1986). (10.1007/BF02919203) / IMMUNOLOGIC RESEARCH (1986)
  42. Mathis, D. J., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 80: 273 (1983). / Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (1983)
  43. MATZINGER, P, HYPOTHESIS - WHY DO SO MANY LYMPHOCYTES RESPOND TO MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS, CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY 29: 1 (1977). (10.1016/0008-8749(77)90269-6) / CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY (1977)
  44. MEUER, S.C., CLONOTYPIC STRUCTURES INVOLVED IN ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC HUMAN T-CELL FUNCTION - RELATIONSHIP TO THE T3-MOLECULAR COMPLEX, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 157: 705 (1983). (10.1084/jem.157.2.705) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1983)
  45. 10.1038/326079a0
  46. PATTEN, P, STRUCTURE, EXPRESSION AND DIVERGENCE OF T-CELL RECEPTOR BETA-CHAIN VARIABLE REGIONS, NATURE 312: 40 (1984). (10.1038/312040a0) / NATURE (1984)
  47. 10.1038/314103a0
  48. ROEHM, N, THE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX-RESTRICTED ANTIGEN RECEPTOR ON T-CELLS .7. DISTRIBUTION ON THYMUS AND PERIPHERAL T-CELLS, CELL 38: 577 (1984). (10.1016/0092-8674(84)90512-9) / CELL (1984)
  49. RUPP, F, IDENTICAL V-BETA T-CELL RECEPTOR GENES USED IN ALLOREACTIVE CYTO-TOXIC AND ANTIGEN PLUS I-A SPECIFIC HELPER T-CELLS, NATURE 315: 425 (1985). (10.1038/315425a0) / NATURE (1985)
  50. SAITO, H, COMPLETE PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF A HETERODIMERIC T-CELL RECEPTOR DEDUCED FROM CDNA SEQUENCES, NATURE 309: 757 (1984). (10.1038/309757a0) / NATURE (1984)
  51. SAITO, T, SPECIFIC ANTIGEN IA ACTIVATION OF TRANSFECTED HUMAN T-CELLS EXPRESSING MURINE TI ALPHA-BETA-HUMAN T3 RECEPTOR COMPLEXES, NATURE 325: 125 (1987). (10.1038/325125a0) / NATURE (1987)
  52. SAITO, T, PREDICTABLE ACQUISITION OF A NEW MHC RECOGNITION SPECIFICITY FOLLOWING EXPRESSION OF A TRANSFECTED T-CELL RECEPTOR BETA-CHAIN GENE, NATURE 329: 256 (1987). (10.1038/329256a0) / NATURE (1987)
  53. SAMELSON, L.E., CELL 43: 233 (1985). (10.1016/0092-8674(85)90028-5) / CELL (1985)
  54. SCOLLAY, R, THYMOCYTE SUBPOPULATIONS - AN EXPERIMENTAL REVIEW, INCLUDING FLOW CYTOMETRIC CROSS-CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE MAJOR MURINE THYMOCYTE MARKERS, THYMUS 5: 245 (1983). / THYMUS (1983)
  55. SEGAL, D.M., 3-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF A PHOSPHORYLCHOLINE-BINDING MOUSE IMMUNOGLOBULIN FAB AND NATURE OF ANTIGEN BINDING-SITE, PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 71: 4298 (1974). / PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1974)
  56. SHIMONKEVITZ, R, ANTIGEN RECOGNITION BY H-2-RESTRICTED T-CELLS .1. CELL-FREE ANTIGEN PROCESSING, JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE 158: 303 (1983). (10.1084/jem.158.2.303) / JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (1983)
  57. SNODGRASS, H.R., EXPRESSION OF T-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTOR GENES DURING FETAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE THYMUS, NATURE 315: 232 (1985). (10.1038/315232a0) / NATURE (1985)
  58. SWAIN, S.L., SIGNIFICANCE OF LYT PHENOTYPES - LYT2 ANTIBODIES BLOCK ACTIVITIES OF T-CELLS THAT RECOGNIZE CLASS-1 MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX ANTIGENS REGARDLESS OF THEIR FUNCTION, PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 78: 7101 (1981). / PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (1981)
  59. 10.1038/302575a0
  60. 10.1002/eji.1830141116
  61. Watts, T. H., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 81: 7564 (1984). / Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (1984)
  62. 10.1073/pnas.81.13.4169
  63. YOSHIKAI, Y, ORGANIZATION AND SEQUENCES OF THE VARIABLE, JOINING AND CONSTANT REGION GENES OF THE HUMAN T-CELL RECEPTOR ALPHA-CHAIN, NATURE 316: 837 (1985). (10.1038/316837a0) / NATURE (1985)
  64. Ziegler, H. K., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 79: 175 (1982). / Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (1982)
  65. 10.1084/jem.147.3.882
  66. ZINKERNAGEL, R.M., IMMUNOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE AGAINST ALTERED SELF COMPONENTS BY SENSITIZED T-LYMPHOCYTES IN LYMPHOCYTIC CHORIOMENINGITIS, NATURE 251: 547 (1974). (10.1038/251547a0) / NATURE (1974)
Dates
Type When
Created 18 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 5, 2006, 4:28 p.m.)
Deposited 1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 13, 2024, 10:42 p.m.)
Indexed 1 month ago (July 30, 2025, 10:09 a.m.)
Issued 37 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 20, 1987)
Published 37 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 20, 1987)
Published Print 37 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 20, 1987)
Funders 0

None

@article{Marrack_1987, title={The T Cell Receptor}, volume={238}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.3317824}, DOI={10.1126/science.3317824}, number={4830}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Marrack, Philippa and Kappler, John}, year={1987}, month=nov, pages={1073–1079} }