T-cells Flashcards
T-cells
- Thymus derived
- Make up 60-80% of lymphocytes (largest population)
Where are T-cells found?
- Paracortex of lymph nodes
- Blood
- Peyer’s patches
- Spleen
T-cell receptor
Express T-cell receptor (TCR) on their surface to recognize specific antigens
Different classes of T-cells
Based on different subunits used to make them
- Alpha beta-T cells (conventional)
- Gamma delta T cells (non-conventional)
Difference between non-conventional T-cells
They do not need to be presented antigen by antigen-presenting cells via the MHC
Alpha beta T cell classification
Based on CD molecule expression
- CD4+ (T-helpers)
- CD8+ (cytotoxic)
CD4+ T helper lymphocytes
- Provide help (directors of immune response)
- Recognizes antigen presented via MHC II (on phagocytic cells)
- Release cytokines
- Influence cell-mediated and humoral immunity
CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes
- They kill other cells
- Recognize antigens presented via MHC I (on all cells)
- Releases perforins and granzymes
T cell development
- Lymphoid progenitors migrate from the bone marrow to the thymus
- Progenitors develop their specific T cell markers
- T cells undergo positive and negative selection in the medulla and cortex as the cells migrate by thymus epithelial cells (TEC) and antigen-presenting cells
- Functional T cells that pass will migrate to the lymphoid tissues and are now called naïve T cells (not encountered their antigen yet but have a specific receptor on their surface)
Why do T cells go through a selection process?
To ensure that selected cells can recognize our own MHC but do not recognize self-peptides that are presented by the MHC molecule. This ensures that our T cells will not kill our own body cells
Positive selection
Positively selecting T cells that can recognize MHC molecules. Cells that do not recognize MHC are of no use and are being deleted
Negative selection
Select cells that do not recognize our self-peptides
How does selection process work?
Self-reactive T cells are binding strongly (high affinity). T cells that have high affinity to self-MHC peptide complexes are eliminated
- Binding affinity is a major determinant in T cell selection. High affinity would mean there are auto reactive and low affinity would mean decreased specificity
Percentage that actually are selected for in the thymus (mouse example)
2-4%
Mature T cells recognize antigen twice
- First time- when T cells are activated in the lymphoid tissues. They are naïve T cells and are being presented antigen by antigen presenting cells
- Leads to activation of T cells and creation of clones (effector T cells). T cells will leave lymphoid tissues and migrate to site of infection
- Second time- when effector T cells encounter their antigen outside of the lymphoid tissues. They are seeing it on the MHC presented by tissue cells and in response they kill the cells and or secrete cytokines
Signals involved in first time T cell antigen recognition
- Signal 1- antigen-specific interaction: antigen being presented to them by antigen-presenting cell via MHC
- Signal 2- co-stimulatory molecules: information about type of immune response needed
- Signal 3- instructive cytokines: signal to “do it now”
What is antigen-presenting cell able to provide naïve cell?
APC phagocytosed foreign material and at the same time is recognizing a danger signal with a pattern recognition receptor. So it knows type of danger and can tell T cell the type of response needed and when to do it