title: The T-cell receptor for antigen.
abstract: There are two important questions concerning the T-cell antigen receptor. Firstly, what is the structural basis of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted recognition? Secondly, what is the origin of tolerance to self-MHC and the 'learning' of MHC-restricted recognition during thymus development? These central questions are discussed here in the context of our current knowledge of the structures of the genes encoding T-cell receptor proteins, their expression during thymocyte development and the mechanisms by which the T-cell receptor repertoire is generated.
authors.affiliation: Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, U.K.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005796:Genes; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000196:embryology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell