These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Defined alphabeta T cell receptors with distinct ligand specificities do not require those ligands to signal double negative thymocyte differentiation.
    Author: Erman B, Guinter TI, Singer A.
    Journal: J Exp Med; 2004 Jun 21; 199(12):1719-24. PubMed ID: 15210747.
    Abstract:
    During T cell development in the thymus, pre-T cell receptor (TCR) complexes signal CD4(-) CD8(-) (double negative [DN]) thymocytes to differentiate into CD4(+) CD8(+) (double positive [DP]) thymocytes, and they generate such signals without apparent ligand engagements. Although ligand-independent signaling is unusual and might be unique to the pre-TCR, it is possible that other TCR complexes such as alphabeta TCR or alphagamma TCR might also be able to signal the DN to DP transition in the absence of ligand engagement if they were expressed on DN thymocytes. Although alphagamma TCR complexes efficiently signal DN thymocyte differentiation, it is not yet certain if alphabeta TCR complexes are also capable of signaling DN thymocyte differentiation, nor is it certain if such signaling is dependent upon ligand engagement. This study has addressed these questions by expressing defined alphabeta TCR transgenes in recombination activating gene 2(-/-) pre-Talpha(-/-) double deficient mice. In such double deficient mice, the only antigen receptors that can be expressed are those encoded by the alphabeta TCR transgenes. In this way, this study definitively demonstrates that alphabeta TCR can in fact signal the DN to DP transition. In addition, this study demonstrates that transgenic alphabeta TCRs signal the DN to DP transition even in the absence of their specific MHC-peptide ligands.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]