| First Author | Kumar R | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Immunity | Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 375-87 |
| PubMed ID | 21903423 | Mgi Jnum | J:176665 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5292416 | Doi | 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.08.010 |
| Citation | Kumar R, et al. (2011) Increased Sensitivity of Antigen-Experienced T Cells through the Enrichment of Oligomeric T Cell Receptor Complexes. Immunity 35(3):375-87 |
| abstractText | Although memory T cells respond more vigorously to stimulation and they are more sensitive to low doses of antigen than naive T cells, the molecular basis of this increased sensitivity remains unclear. We have previously shown that the T cell receptor (TCR) exists as different-sized oligomers on the surface of resting T cells and that large oligomers are preferentially activated in response to low antigen doses. Through biochemistry and electron microscopy, we now showed that previously stimulated and memory T cells have more and larger TCR oligomers at the cell surface than their naive counterparts. Reconstitution of cells and mice with a point mutant of the CD3zeta subunit, which impairs TCR oligomer formation, demonstrated that the increased size of TCR oligomers was directly responsible for the increased sensitivity of antigen-experienced T cells. Thus, we propose that an 'avidity maturation' mechanism underlies T cell antigenic memory. |
