MIC 419

Learning Objectives: Generation of Antigen-Specific T Cells

Reading Assignment: Janeway Chapter 4 pp 149-153 and Chapter 7 pp 251-258, 267-275, and 280-293 or Parham Chapter 5.

Supplementary Materials:  TCR,   T Cell Development,   Flow Cytometry

T Cell Diversity refers to the large number of different antigen-binding sites available on TCR. We know that the amount of diversity (the number of different TCR specificities) is very high, in the billions or higher. Each individual T cell makes all its α chains with the same Vα and all its β chains with the same Vβ.The mechanism by which each developing T lymphocyte forms the genes for unique Vα and Vβ regions is called somatic recombination. It is a process that is unique to lymphocytes. As somatic recombination randomly produces Vα and Vβ regions, many TCR will not bind MHC; MHC-binding T cells must be signaled to survive by positive selection. Some of these TCR are able to bind self antigen; T cells producing self-specific TCR must be eliminated by negative selection before the T cells are allowed to leave the thymus.

When you finish Generation of Antigen-Specific T cells, you should be able to