T cell receptor, antigen recognition Flashcards
How do T cells differ from B cells? Development.
Location?
Thymus (T cell)
- positive and negative selection happen here
Bone marrow (B cells)
- negative selection
- BUT for positive selection they go to secondary lymphoid organs
Receptor
B vs T cells
similar mechanism but different structure
- both derived from gene rearrangement
- B cell has four chains
- T cell has two chains
Isotype switching?
Affinity maturation?
T vs B cells
Isotype switching
- T cells do not undergo isotype switching or affinity maturation.
The constant region of the T cell recepor does not have specific functions, like the Fc (constant region of heavy chain) on B cell receptors
How do B and T cells recognize antigens
T cells require MHC
B cell receptors recognize antigens directly (do not need MHC) - they can simply bind to native antigens
Function of T vs B cells
T cells - either kill infected host cells or make cytokines
B cells - make antibodies
Beta chain - somatic recombination
VDJ
like the heavy chain of B cell receptor
alpha chain - somatic recombination
VJ
like the light chain of B cell receptors
VDJ segment encode
antigen binding site on the beta chain of T cell receptor
VJ segment encode
antigen binding site on the alpha chain of the T cell receptor
Where is there more varible segments (V) in T cell receptors?
Alpha
D segments in immunoglobin and T cell receptors
Only in Heavy chain (B cell)
- has more than in T cell receptors
Only in beta (T cell )
Joining segments
About equal in B cells between H and lambda/kappa
Very numerous in the alpha chain of T cell receptor
Junctional diversity
Much higher in T cell receptors, compared to in B cell receptors
Which type of receptor has more total diversity
Significanly higher in T cells receptors.
5 orders of magnitude difference
Two classes of T cell receptors
- Alpha + Beta = most common
- Gamma + delta
This decision is made during rearrangement
Alpha + beta T cell receptor
- Most common / majority of Conventional T cells
- Recognize MHC/peptide
- High degree of receptor diversity
- Cells abundant in all secondary lymphoid tissues
Both types of T cell receptors:
- Always transmembrane
- Short cytoplasmic tails
- Constant region - does not participate in antigen binding
- Variable regions - antigen binding site
1. variable regions are made up of two chains
Gamma / delta
T cell receptor
- Smaller subset of T cells
- Recognition specificity not fully clear, MHC class Ib
- Lower degree of receptor diversity
- Cells abundant in gut mucosa
Types of alpha/beta T cells receptors
CD4+ T helper cells
CD8+ Cytolytic T cells