title: Monitoring antigen-specific T cells using MHC-Ig dimers.
abstract: To summarize, two novel approaches are currently being examined that allow for identification of antigen-specific T cells. A biochemical approach to generating soluble multivalent MHC complexes has been to generate tetrameric MHC complexes linked to avidin. We have also generated a general approach for producing soluble divalent versions of class I and class II MHC molecules, using Ig as a molecular scaffold. The experimental system described here outlines a general approach of using multivalent high affinity ligands to study cell-cell interactions, driven by multivalent ligand-receptor interactions. Our work indicates that divalent chimeric molecules are high-avidity analogs of proteins useful in probing and selectively regulating cellular responses.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Schneck
mesh_terms: D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D019281:Dimerization; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007136:Immunoglobulins