title: The T cell surface--how well do we know it?
abstract: The overall degree of complexity of the T cell surface has been unclear, constraining our understanding of its biology. Using global gene expression analysis, we show that 111 of 374 genes encoding well-characterized leukocyte surface antigens are expressed by a resting cytotoxic T cell. Unexpectedly, of 97 stringently defined, T cell-specific transcripts with unknown functions that we identify, none encode proteins with the modular architecture characteristic of 80% of leukocyte surface antigens. Only two encode proteins with membrane topologies found exclusively in cell surface molecules. Our analysis indicates that the cell type-specific composition of the resting CD8+ T cell surface is now largely defined, providing an insight into the overall compositional complexity of the mammalian cell surface and a framework for formulating systematic models of T cell surface-dependent processes, such as T cell receptor triggering.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, The University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hene
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Retiere
authors.forename: Janet A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fennelly
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manso-Sancho
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Veronique M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Braud
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rowland-Jones
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McMichael
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D015870:Gene Expression; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface