Lymphocytes rearrange, edit and revise their antigen receptors to be useful yet safe.
Pamela Fink and Catherine McMahan discuss how B and T cells test for useful antigen receptors and weed out potentially harmful ones, with special attention paid to T-cell receptor revision, a newly described mechanism by which mature T cells can maintain self tolerance.
Fink
P J
PJ
University of Washington, Dept of Immunology, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. pfink@u.washington.edu
McMahan
C J
CJ
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D011946:Receptors, Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism
D011946:Receptors, Antigen; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell