T-cell development and activation Flashcards
What is needed in terms of MHC recognition for a T cell to respond?
- self MHC
2. correct antigen for TCR
Describe the structure of a TCR
- heterdimer of an alpha and beta chain linked by disulfide bond
- no significant intracellular portion
- each chain consists of a variable region and a constain region and the variable region is what binds to specific antigen
- *unlike BCR, it remains surface structure and isn’t secreted as antibody
The antigen binding region of the TCR arises from ______________.
- rearranging gene segments
- VJC for alpha, VDJC for beta chains
Which chain of a TCR gets rearranged first?
-the beta chain, then the alpha chain
Similarities and differences between the TCR and BCR
- both have 3 CDR loci in variable region that bind antigen
- BCR sees soluble antigens; TCR sees 1-3 residues of a peptide and polymorphic MHC
- TCRs have lower affinity for antigen and do not increase in affinity during immune response like BCRs
- TCR has accessory molecules (CD8, CD4) involved in binding
T cell precursors originate in the _______, then develop in the _______.
- bone marrow
- thymus
gamma delta (yd) T cells
- do not express a-B receptors, but instead express similar protein dimer yd
- distinct T cell lineage
- often respond to lipid, not peptide antigens
- majority T cells in some tissues like epithelium
T/F: A T-cell can express aB r and yd receptor.
-false: either have one receptor type or the other; and also only have 1 receptor specificity, but that clonal receptor may respond to a fairly wide array of antigens
Natural killer T cells (NKT)
- small population of cells that have both surface markers typically found on T cells and surface markers characteristic of NK cells
- most are CD4+
- unlike NK cells which are tons of receptors, these do not
invariant NKT cells
- subpopulation of NKT cells that express the same (non-polymorphic) a and B TCR chains
- restricted by CD1 (not classical MHC) and respond to lipid antigens
- critical for protection against autoimmunity and cancer
Developmental progression of T cell precursors as they enter and mature in thymus
- enter as double negatives and CD3 (TCR) negative
- rearrange B chain for TCR to form pre T cell receptor; if this can transduce, pre T cell survives, proliferates and expresses full receptor
- now express CD8 and CD4 (double positive)
- undergo selection to weakly bind self MHC and down regulate either CD4 or CD8 and exported to periphery as mature T cells
What percentage of double positive, immature T cells in the thymus die?
-95%
Where do developing T cells undergo V(D)J recombination?
- in the thymus
- remember immature thymocytes entering thymus are negative for CD4, CD8, and TCR (CD3)
What occurs in “death by neglect” and negative selection?
- DBN: TCRs do not bind self MHC of either class; aka failure of positive selection
- Negative selection: killing of T cells which have; TCRs that bind self MHC too strongly
**developing thymocytes know if they express a forbidden receptor ( too high or too low affinity) through signals mediated by the antigen receptor
Where do positive and negative selection of T cells occur?
- in the cortex of the thymus
- single positives are found moreso in the medulla
Within the thymus, selection of immature T cells is occuring. What cells are expressing the MHC that is being used to select the T cells?
-thymic epithelial cells
3 possible outcomes of T cell selection
- lack of positive selection; death by neglect: Double positive thymocyte doesn’t recognize peptide-MHC complex on thymic epithelial cell
- positive selection: low affinity recognition of peptide-MHC complex on thymic epithelial cell and survives and converts to single positive
- negative selection: if the TCR on double positive thymocyte recognizes self MHC on thymic APC with high affinity and undergoes apoptosis
What receptor is downregulated if a immature, double positive T-cell recognizes MHC class I or class II?
- if recognize class I: down regulate CD4
- if recognize class II: down regulate CD8
What surface proteins are expressed by most cells in the thymus?
- CD4 and CD8
- mostly double positives
What are the surface markers of the most immature T cells in the thymus?
- double negatives!!
- remember, they enter thymus with TCR, CD4 and CD8
What would one expect if there was a defect that prevented a T cell from recognizing class I MHC molecules?
-only would form CD4+ cells because could only see MHC class II
Do TCRs act in isolation?
- no; found in association with a series of proteins called CD3 chains
- while TCR a and B chains have all the necessary components for antigen and MHC recognition, the CD3 chains are responsible for initiating signal transductions to inform cell that antigen has been bound
What role do CD3s play in T cell signal transduction? What part of their structure is responsible for this?
- ITAMs become phosphorylated and act as docking sites for other proteins for the cascade to continue
- increase transcriptions factors NFAT and NFkB and AP-1 due to new gene transcription
- *when TCR binds antigen, a number of biochemical second messenger cascades are stimulated
- *coordinated activation of these pathways results in transcription of genes important for T cell activation
What are 2 downstream effectors of T cell activation that are often targets of immunosuppressor drugs?
- NFAT and NFkB
- but can be found in other cells, so drugs against these have other effects as well
The a and B chains of TCRs encode the ________ components of the TCR, while the CD3 encodes the ________ components.
- antigen binding
- signal transduction
What is the result of a naive T cells being stimulated by the TCR alone?
- anergy or unresponsiveness
- productive naive T cell activation requires stimulation of TCR by antigen/MHC and “accessory” or stimulatory receptors
How many signals are required to activate a naive T cell?
2;
signal 1: is due to engagement of TCR by MHC plus antigen
signal 2: co-stimulation
What are the effects on a naive T cell if it receives a co-stimulatory signal alone vs. a signal 1 alone?
- only signal 2: nothing
- only signal 1: anergy; prolonged T cell inactivation
What is the major co-stimulatory R, which cells is present on? How about the ligand?
- major co-stimulatory receptor on T cells in CD 28
- ligand is B7 which is present in low level on non-activated APCs but high levels on activated APCs