title: The human T cell receptor: analysis with cytotoxic T cell clones.
abstract: Employing human T lymphocyte clones and monoclonal antibodies to their surface glycoproteins, the antigen receptors on these cells have been defined. Based on functional and biochemical data, it is shown that each T cell displays two major recognition units on its surface. One structure consists of the antigen-binding region (Tin-T3) which views antigen X in the context of a polymorphic region of an MHC molecule. A second (T8 or T4) serves as an associative recognition structure for a constant region of the class I or class II molecule. The antigen-binding structure is a heterodimer of disulfide linked 49KD and 43KD subunits, which contains clonally unique variable regions. These are non-covalently associated with the 20/25KD monomorphic T3 molecule expressed on all mature human T lymphocytes. The associative-recognition element on an individual clone is either T8 or T4, depending on its subset derivation. It is likely that these glycoproteins bind to constant regions of class I or class II molecules, respectively, and are independent of the Tin-T3 complex complex.
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008954:Models, Biological; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell