title: The agonist-antagonist balance in positive selection.
abstract: Peptide antigens expressed in the thymus, in combination with self major histocompatibility complex molecules play a crucial role in thymocyte selection and shaping of the mature T-cell repertoire. Here, it is proposed that a single thymocyte may be exposed to numerous different peptide ligands as it matures, such that its fate is determined by the sum of signals produced by these interactions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Immunology, National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarazona
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kioussis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D010455:Peptides; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell