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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Pathways and Mechanisms of Human T Cell Activation

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description

The antigen receptor of T lymphocytes was recently identified as a complex consisting of a 90 KD disulfide linked heterodimer, termed Ti which is functionally and structurally associated with three additional molecular components, termed T3 (1). Whereas the former contains clonally unique epitopes and displays peptide variability among T cell clones of distinct specificities, no variability could be detected within any of the known three subunits of T3 (2,3). Monoclonal antibodies to T3 and Ti, respectively, in soluble form were capable of blocking antigen specific clonal T cell responses (4,5). Perhaps more importantly, when coupled to the surface of a solid support these antibodies produced functional effects that were undistinguishable from those produced by the natural ligand of this molecular complex, namely antigen itself (6,7).